


Opposites Attract

by MournfulSeverity



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe, Angst, BAMF Lily Evans Potter, Bullying, Canon Related, Drinking, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Good Severus Snape, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Mild Smut, Miscarriage, Severitus | Severus Snape is Harry Potter's Parent, Tags Contain Spoilers, Teen Pregnancy, Young Severus Snape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-17 23:55:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 69
Words: 149,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21518530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MournfulSeverity/pseuds/MournfulSeverity
Summary: What if Lily and Severus had grown up differently? She was abused and mistreated, he was given the love every child should have. How would that affect their future? Their relationship? Would their story have ended the same way?
Relationships: Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape
Comments: 11
Kudos: 77
Collections: severitus fic collection





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Blast from the past. This is the first story that I completed and boy has my writing style and ability changed! 
> 
> This is what I’m going to call a "Participation fic". Nearly all of the characters in this story are based on real people who wished to be a part of this fic. Other things have been voted on by those same people. You guys are helping me write this story. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Harry Potter or the Wizarding World.

Blast from the past. This is the first story that I completed and boy has my writing style and ability changed! 

**Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Harry Potter or the Wizarding World.**

**Prologue**

Love had existed once in their life but that was many years ago. Virginia Walsh moved from Belfast, Ireland when she was a young girl. Her memories of her home town faded long ago. For all anyone new she was an English girl. Virginia was a very beautiful woman. She had flowing red hair down to her waist, a face full of freckles, and eyes that looked like they were crafted from emeralds. She met Frank Evans while attending university. He was a blond Englishman with dark brown eyes and a passion for helping others. It was a whirlwind affair and they quickly fell in love. With the muggle war looming over their heads Frank and Virginia were quickly married a few months after meeting and gave birth to two beautiful daughters. Petunia came first in 1958. She took after her father in looks. Petunia inherited his hair and eye color. In many ways they looked more alike than they did different. Lily was born next in 1960. She was the polar opposite of her sister. Instead of her father's looks, Lily received her mother's Irish roots. Her hair was deep a red and her eyes a bright green. The muggle war ended when the girls were still young. They never got to know a father who loved them, never experienced the man that their mother had fallen in love with. Like many soldiers, Frank returned with a severe case of PTSD. He self medicated by drowning himself in alcohol. Frank was a mean drunk, the problem was that he was always drunk. Eventually the loving Frank was gone and the abusive one had taken over. He had a hard time keeping a job in the old mill town of Cokeworth. The constant cost of losing a job only made frank drink more and beat more. While Virginia tried to take the brunt of Frank's beatings the girls didn't escape unfazed. Many school days were missed completely because of the abuse they'd received from their father. Other days they attended school in long sleeves and pants in an attempt to hide the bruises.

The little money the family earned was spent on Frank's addiction. Virginia worked when she could but living in a poor town meant few people could afford to pay her. As the money situation continued to get worse the Evans family moved across town to the poorest of the poor, Spinner's End. The house was dilapidated. The ceiling was falling apart and filled the house with dripping water during storms. The walls were slanted from a crumbling foundation. It was a death trap waiting to happen but it was home. It kept them warm enough and provided a place to keep their few possessions. The house was mostly empty as they were unable to afford furniture. Frank and Virginia slept on a pull out couch while the girls slept on the floor in sleeping bags.

The house wasn't the only problem. As hard as Virginia tried to stretch it there just wasn't enough money for all the expenses. There wasn't always food in the house which led to many nights of rumbling bellies. The girls were skinny from a lack of proper nutrition. Their clothes were tattered and worn. They'd been patched up as good as possible but the neglect was obvious all the same. At least they fit longer due to the limited growth the girls experienced.

Summer was always the hardest for the family. Virginia couldn't rely on sending her daughters to a neighbor's or friends house. She did so whenever possible to protect them as much as she could. Unfortunately the people who could afford to help her took vacations during the break from school. The families that stayed behind were barely surviving themselves.

Suddenly, one glorious summer morning in 1966, their lives changed forever. Petunia had dropped a dish which shattered on the battered floor. Of course, dishes cost money, money Frank couldn't earn. He lashed at his daughter, striking her across the cheek. As tears welled in Petunia's eyes, Lily came to her aid without even knowing it. As Frank's hand had passed across Petunia's face He received a stinging pain in the back of his hand. Unbeknownst to all of them, this was Lily's first performance of magic.

Across town lived another family, quite unlike the Evans. They were the Snape family. Tobias and Eileen had met by quite literally bumping into each other. Tobias had been loitering on Charing Cross Road near the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron when low and behold a women walked straight into him seemingly put of nowhere. That had required a bit of explaining and so they set up their first date to do just that. Tobias wasn't sure how to trust her at first. There's no such thing as witches and magic, surely she had to be a con artist. He couldn't understand why she was so unwilling to prove it to him. Muggles aren't aware of the secrecy laws after all. It took some convincing but Eileen eventually gained his trust that one day she would show him. They quickly fell in love and were married within the year. Eileen kept her promise to Tobias and decided on a cliché piece of magic by making a rabbit appear inside Tobias' hat much to his astonishment. On October 2nd, 1955, the Snape family learned they were due to have a child. Unfortunately it was the first of many miscarriages for the couple. Each one resulting in a devastating blow to them and their relationship as those things tend to do. In May of 1959 Eileen learned once again that she was pregnant. This one would turn out to be their miracle child. On January 9th, 1960, Eileen gave birth to a beautiful black haired boy that they would name "Severus Tobias Snape" and thus the family they had so desperately craved had finally begun. It was no longer just the two of them. Severus was their only child. There had been attempts at having more but something always seemed to go wrong. In 1963 the Snape family decided they had all the family they would ever need and so the 3 of them went on with their happy lives.

Tobias was a hard working man. In his years before Eileen he'd scoured the countryside looking for any job that might teach him something. This ended up being a great benefit later in life. Early in the year of 1969, Tobias landed a management position at a mill in Cokeworth. They secured a pleasant little cottage on the east side of town with enough room for their small family.

Lily and Severus were polar opposites. She had deep red hair like her mother while Snape had jet black hair like his mother. Her eyes were green, his were black. She was poor and abused, he was rich and loved. The one thing they did have in common was their magical ability. Severus had a witch for a mother. He'd learned how to control his magic and kept it hidden from the other kids in school. Lily was muggleborn. She didn't have anyone to show her how to control the magic inside which often resulted in unusual and inexplicable out bursts. Kids tended to avoid lily and bullied her for being unusual. That small difference separated her from the rest of the world but brought her close to another.


	2. Chapter 2

She had been coming to the river since she was a child. She'd found it long ago when she was hiding from the Patterson twins. On that particular day, Marissa and Kayla Patterson's torment had been relentless. They'd taunted her all day in school over her ratty clothes and unkempt hair. They lived in the same direction as Lily which meant they'd follow her home from school. Lily turned the corner and dove out of site into the bushes before the twins could see where she went. She'd come here nearly everyday since then. It was in the poor part of town where no one visited or cared to explore. The lack of interest in her hiding spot made it the perfect escape.

_ Snap _

Lily flipped her head around "w-who's there?" she stuttered as a thin, black haired boy came through the bushes.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone was here. I was just looking for a spot to read. I can find somewhere else"

"N-no, its okay. I was afraid you were someone…someone else". She noticed a sad look cross his face for a moment before he stuck out his hand. "you're Lily Evans right? I'm Severus, Severus Snape. I've noticed you at school before. Aren't you the girl they caught on the roof of the school last year?" Lily blushed before nodding her head "I don't know how it happened. I was running from some girls who were being mean to me. I tried to jump behind a dumpster and somehow landed on the roof. I didn't know I could jump that high. "

"Well, Lily, I don't think it was just a jump. I- well I've been watching you lately." Lily' s eyes widened in fear "No! I don't mean like that, it's just, I've noticed how you make things happen. Things you can't explain." He continued. At that Lily stood up preparing herself to leave "I deal with this enough at school. I don't need to be questioned after hours too."

"Wait! Don't leave! I didn't mean to upset you, I was trying to help." Lily stopped gathering her stuff to throw a puzzled look at the boy. Why did he care so much?

"I think I can give you an explanation" Severus said to his lap. "look, I know why these things happen but I cant talk to you about it here. You know that park on the corner of main street? Meet me there tomorrow at 3:30 after school. Ill explain everything I promise". Before Lily could even make sense of what had just happened Severus had stood up and left. Before disappearing through the bushes he turned back and gave her a smile. She was confused but she trusted him. She remembered him from school. Severus was well liked and usually surrounded with friends. He'd moved here in the beginning of January but instantly fit in. It was like he'd lived here all his life and the kids at school treated him as such. She remembered his first day. Ms. Roth had introduced him to the class. He was a beaming fair skinned boy with long black hair and an aquiline nose. He had eyes the color of coal but they were bright as if the fire in them was still burning. Lily had felt her heart skip a beat when he looked at her and she'd been enchanted with him ever since, well as enchanted as a 9 year old could be. He hadn't needed to introduce himself when he came through the bushes. Severus was a name she knew well. She'd never actually had the chance to speak to him until now. He'd been surrounded by people since day 1, particularly Derek and Andrew. They were both pale from the lack of sun in England. Tanned skin wasn't common around here unless the person had come from somewhere else entirely. Andrew was a towhead with bright blue eyes. He'd always been nice enough to Lily unlike so many of the other school children. Derek was quite the opposite. He had dark brown hair and caramel colored eyes. Lily had known him since they were in kindergarten. He was a very boisterous boy who made his opinions well known. Severus had been a good mediator for them. It was hard to catch one of the three boys without the other two trailing behind. This impromptu meeting in the bushes resulted in the most Lily and the Snape boy had ever said to one another.

Lily began to pack up her books and homework. It was time to head home for dinner, if there was one today. Her father had spent the last few days drowning his sorrows and had likely spent most of his newly earned money. For once Lily didn't care. She was too curious about what that funny boy had said. How could he possibly explain these things about her? Even she didn't know the answer to these things, how could he? She'd deal with it when the time came. What interested Lily the most was that someone was willing to talk to her, Her! The messy redhead on Spinner's End. She'd never had friends here and never expected any but now there was a glimmer of hope that this could actually be something. She was anxious for tomorrow but she'd waited 9 years for a friend, she could live with one more day.

Lily woke up early the next day, unprepared for the day to come. However that also meant she'd be meeting Severus today. It was 6 am and everyone was still asleep. Lily quietly crept to the bathroom to get ready. One thing their miserable house did have was indoor plumbing. She filled a basin of water to wash off with, showers and baths were too wasteful and were reserved for particular dirty days, today was not one of those. She washed her long, red hair above the sink and tried to smooth the knoted curls into a braid. She took extra care with her looks today. There was a knock on the door "Lil, are you in there?" Lily turned the knob and let her sister in. "Why do you look so fancy this morning?" Petunia asked.

"You know the Snape family? Severus asked me to meet him at the park today. He said something about an explanation."

"An explanation for what?"

"He said it was about all the funny things I can do."

"Are you sure that's safe? The Snapes…are an odd family. I don't know if I trust that kid. You've seen who he hangs around with. What could he possibly have to explain to you?"

"I don't know, he wouldn't tell me but said he could explain everything after school today. Would you…want to c-come with me? I don't know how to talk to him, or anyone really"

"I'll go anywhere that gets me out of this house"

Petunia moved away from the door and headed downstairs. Lily noticed she'd chosen to wear a Jumper today. It was still September, way too warm for long sleeves but Lily knew Petunia's outfit wasn't based on the weather. Frank had gotten after her last night for not cleaning up dinner. He'd yanked her by the arm to pull her back to the table. His grip had left purple, finger shaped bruises on her wrist. Petunia knew better than to let people see it and ask questions. No one cared in this town. There were too many drunk and abusive parents in this town for anyone to do anything about. The girls had decided long ago that it was better to hide the bruises than to face Frank's anger if they let the marks be seen.

As Lily dressed she could hear her mother banging around in the kitchen looking for something, anything to feed her children. Frank may have broken Virginia but she would not let him do the same thing to her daughters. She tried to give them a normal life, tried to love them enough for two people but it wasn't always easy. Virginia wished she could leave her lump of a husband and get the 3 of them out of here but it just wasn't realistic. They had no money as it was. She didn't have anything to support them if they'd left. She couldn't even afford train tickets to London where her parents lived. Viriginia found some stale bread in the fridge. She scraped off as much mold as she could and covered the rest with peanut butter. It wasn't much but it was food.

"Girls! Come down and eat breakfast before school"

Two sets of feet thudded down the stairs. The girls were dressed and already had their bags ready. She could tell they hadn't expected breakfast.

"Um, I'm not hungry" Lily lied "I'm just going to walk to school early"

"I'm okay too" Petunia said.

Lily was too nervous to eat and she was too focused on the day ahead to care. She did feel bad though, having made Petunia skip her breakfast. Petunia was always fussing over Lily and worried about her wellbeing. It had gotten even worse since Lily's outbursts began. Petunia insisted on walking with her to school and making sure she got there safe.

"So, what's the plan?" Petunia asked after they'd left the house.

"Meet me after school by the tree out frontl. We're meeting Snape at 3:30 over at the park on main."

"You're sure you don't know what this is about?" Petunia asked as she kicked a rock across the road.

"I have no idea. He said something about an explanation but I don't know what he could possibly have to explain. He's never said a word to me before." Lily adjusted her backpack and continued "he was carrying some funny books yesterday. One said something about spells and the other was called 'defense against the dark arts'. He ran into me on the way home, said he was looking for a place to read". She felt selfish but she didn't want her sister to know about her hiding spot. It was her escape from life and sometimes that did include her overbearing sister.

"Why did he have a book about spells?" Petunia wondered aloud "does he think he's magical or something? I told you they were a strange family."

Lily didn't get a chance to reply. They were almost to school and too many other kids were near them. "I'll talk to you about it later, Sarah's waving you over anyway"

Petunia looked over her shoulder searching for her friend. "I'll catch up with you later Lils" she said as she turned to walk away. Lily liked Sarah. She was a very sweet American girl although she'd lived here as long as Lily could remember. Sarah never judged Lily or made fun of her like so many of the other girls. She was aware of their situation at home and occasionally invited Lily to come play with her and Petunia after school. Sarah was the closest thing Lily had to a friend but there was still some sort of barrier between them. Lily could tell Sarah never knew what to talk to Lily about and most of their time was spent in silence but Sarah cared for the two sisters and that was all that mattered to her.

Lily pulled on the rusted handle to open the door to the school. The poverty in this town was visible everywhere. The door to the school had been boarded up a couple months ago after one of the older kids broke the glass trying to get in after hours. The school didn't have money to fix the door, they barely even had money to stay open. The staff was underpaid and it affected their ability , or rather want, to teach. Many of them had lost the joy in their jobs but they couldn't afford to leave. Everything in the school was usually grimy. That's what happened when you housed hundreds of kids during the day but couldn't afford a Janitor every night. It didn't bother her though. She was used to these conditions from home, a majority of the kids were and so cleanliness hadn't been a priority here for years.

Lily's trainers were wet from the morning dew. They squeaked as she walked across the tile floor to her classroom. School didn't start for another 15 minutes. She deposited her bag in her classroom chair before walking back outside. She sat under the tree out front and watched kids arrive. She watched mothers and fathers kiss their children on the cheek as they dropped them off. She watched as most kids tried to avoid the kiss while others accepted it. Lily's parents were never affectionate. She knew that her mother loved her and deep down her father did too but they weren't a touchy feely family. In the distance Lily could see Petunia with her friends. She didn't know most of them by name but recognized their faces. Petunia threw her head back in laughter at someone's joke. Lily sighed and looked away. She wanted that so badly, to have someone to laugh with and talk to. She couldn't wait until she was old enough to get out of this stupid town. Everyone thought she was crazy. They didn't know how she made things happen, most of it was unexplainable like the dumpster incident so people just kept their space from her. It was like she was surrounded in a bubble that wouldn't let anyone get close.

Lily had been absent mindedly pulling grass out of the ground while she was thinking. She brushed the grass off her pants and was about to stand when she noticed a familiar car pulling up to the school. It was a black sedan. Among other things, the tip top condition and newness of the car made it stand out from all the other cars in town. Lily watched as the black haired boy stepped out of the car. He leaned into the car to accept a kiss from his mother before turning and walking away. He noticed Lily sitting on the grass and walked over to her. "What's that on your arm?" he asked. Lily quickly adjusted her sleeve to cover the bruise on her shoulder. "Oh, um, n-nothing. I just bumped my arm" into my fathers fist she mentally added. Severus raised his eyebrow but decided not to press the issue "well, don't bump into anything else. The bells about to ring, we should head in."

"Oh, right. Lily clumsily stood up and brushed off her pants. Together they walked to their classroom.


	3. Chapter 3

Severus loved both his parents very much but was especially close to his mother. Unlike his father, his mother, Eileen, was a witch. Both Eileen and Severus had a knack for potions, they say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Eileen had a great reputation in the wizarding community. She was known for having a higher standard of quality in her potions and they seemed to work better than those from other potioneers. She always knew how to improve a potion and passed this trait on to Severus. He was only 9 years old and could brew a better draught of peace than the OWL level students at Hogwarts. That was one benefit of growing up in a magical household. He had been reading his future school books since he was old enough to read. He knew more about Hogwarts than most of the people in attendance. Eileen had worked with him on spells and all other magical means since he was a young child. Of course his muggle father had benefits too. Severus had a knowledgeable background of his country's history and a multitude of other topics although his favorite so far was math. His intelligent parents had benefitted him greatly as it does when parents work with their children. Being a half blood was certainly the best of both worlds.

He always found muggle school to be boring. He was advanced in his class but it didn't matter, not when he'd be attending Hogwarts in 2 short years. It didn't really matter if he skipped a grade since it wouldn't contribute to his education in the future. Unfortunately like most kids his boredom turned him into the class clown. He was snide and sometimes crude, another trait he'd received from his mother. His comments were rarely considered acceptable with the adults but his peers found them hilarious. This sarcastic personality gained him two close friends shortly after moving to the town of Cokeworth. David and Andrew had approached Severus on his first day of school and they'd been friends ever since. Out of the three of them David was the most obnoxious and usually dragged the other two into trouble with him. Andrew was painfully shy with strangers but quickly opened up with his friends. They made a good trio.

On his first day of school he met many people. Their faces blurred together after awhile and no one really caught his eye. He'd been embarrassed the teacher introduced him to the class but covered smoothly with his quick wit. When he was standing up in front he saw a desolate young girl named Lily. She clearly came from an impoverished family. Her clothes were tattered and dirty and hung loose on her small frame. She was quite petite compared to other girls her age. Her hair was in a mess that she tried her best to tame. But those eyes, he'd never forget her eyes. Lily had glanced up at him from her lap just once but that was all it took. Her eyes looked as though they had been carved from emeralds but were dulled by her sadness.

Within his first few days at his new school. The rumors of Lily made it to him. To everyone else she seemed unusual but the more Severus heard about her the more normal he thought she was. Inside her was quite a bit of rage and rightfully so. She was treated like dirt both at home and in school. She was bullied relentlessly by several people. On days she had been bullied particularly bad, things would happen. Severus once witnessed Marissa telling Lily she was worthless while they were waiting for class to start. Their teacher had a surprise for them that morning, a ball python she had recently purchased to keep in the classroom. Marissa made her hate for snakes well known but came to peer at him nonetheless. She pressed her mousy face against the glass to get a closer look. The glass seemed to vanish in thin air and the snake came wriggling towards her. She'd run from the room screaming at this close encounter. While the class sat their stunned, unsure of what had happened, Severus saw Lily in the back of the room trying to conceal a smirk. Then of course there was the incident when she was found on the roof of the school. No one believed her story about jumping too high. No one except Severus that is. The more he heard about her the more he believed she wasn't abnormal, she was a witch. She didn't seem to know it but Severus intended to tell her.

Yesterday he'd stayed later at school to talk to his friends. As he was making his way home he saw a mess of auburn hair disappear in between some bushes. Severus made up some stupid excuse to follow her, saying he needed to read. He pulled books out of his bag to make his lie seem more realistic. She'd been afraid of him. Something he had expected but surprised him nevertheless. He wanted to tell her the truth then and there but he didn't know who was around to hear them. It was better to do it in an open area, a place he could see people coming if he needed to change the topic. The park was the first thing to pop into his mind. It was one of his favorite places to spend his time and he knew it wasn't popular. Many of it's features were well used and broken. Newer parks had popped up in the surrounding area and those quickly became first picks for the local kids. So, the park it was.

The next morning Severus peered over at his clock to check the time "suck!" He said under his breath. It was nearly time for school. He dressed quickly in black jeans and a Rolling Stones T-shirt. He stepped into the bathroom to take a piss and wash his face. He glanced in the mirror at his disheveled reflection. He quickly ran a comb through his shoulder length black hair, something he didn't usually do. Today was a special occasion. Severus pulled on some old, beat up trainers, and stomped down the stairs. He quickly buttered some toast and snarfed a sausage link before grabbing his bag and finding his mother.

"Mum?" He called

"Yes, dear?" She replied from her potions room in the back of the house.

"Can you drop me off at school today? I woke up a bit late"

"A bit late? Severus, school starts in 10 minutes!"

"So… is that a yes?

He heard his mother sigh before replying with a yes and slipping on her shoes. They hurried out to the car and set off for school. It was only a few minutes away but it was too far away for him to walk this morning. Eileen pulled up to the curb outside the school doors. Severus hopper out of the car but leaned back in at his mothers request to receive a kiss on the cherk. It wasn't until he was walking towards the school that he saw Lily…staring right at him. So, she saw the kiss then, great. He brushed it off and tried to think of something else as he could feel a blush creeping up his pale skin. He walked over to her, something he hadn't done since before yesterday. He noticed a bruise peeking out from under the sleeve of her flowered blouse. He knew what it was from. He knew she was abused, many of the kids here were. Yet he asked anyway. "What's that on your arm?" Lily quickly adjusted her sleeve so the mark was covered "Oh, um, n-nothing. I just bumped my arm". He knew it was a lie but honestly he would have said the same thing. "Well, don't bump into anything else. The bells about to ring, we should head in."

"Oh, right" she said nervously before following him into the classroom.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a typical day for the both of them. Friendship for Severus, bullying for Lily. The only noticeable difference being that today passed more slowly for both of them. When the bell rang they walked to the front of the school together. "I need to run home and grab some things before heading to the park. See you in a bit" Severus said as he walked away. That was fine with Lily, she had to wait for Tuney anyway and she wanted to get her nerves more under control before their meeting. Lily stood beneath the tree they'd arranged to meet at. She heard Sarah's laugh and Petunia's goodbye before she saw them. When they rounded the corner to the front of the school Sarah headed in the direction of home while Petunia walked towards her younger sister. "Ready for your explanation?" she asked.

"I guess, I'm not really sure what to expect. He said he needed to grab some stuff from home and would see me there. We might as well head over now. We haven't played at the park in ages anyway."

Snape ran most of the way home trying to make his trip as short as possible. He dumped the contents of his book bag on his bed before stuffing it with as many books as he could: Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, anything that would fit in the bag went in the bag. His father was at work still, he didn't have to worry about him and he could still hear his mother working away in her lab downstairs. They both would be angry with him spilling the secret of their world with someone who may or may not be magical. Severus snuck into his parents bedroom to find his grandfathers wand. Eileen let him use it to practice with occasionally but she'd kill him if she knew what he was doing with it. He wasn't planning on showing Lily magic, not today anyway. But he wanted to show her as much of their world as he could. He was ecstatic not to be the only magical child in town like he thought he was before. When his bag was stuffed with magical artifacts and texts he headed downstairs. "Mum? Do you have any pepper up potion prepared? I'm feeling a bit sick today"

"Of course, you know I always have some stocked up. It's in the medicine cabinet by the door"

"Thanks" he muttered before grabbing it and dashing out the door "I'm meeting David to do some homework, I'll be back in a bit!" He called as he headed for the front door.

"Just be back in time for dinner!" Eileen called back.

"I always am mum, always am" he said before shutting the front door behind him.

The park was only 2 blocks from his house and boy was he glad, he hadn't realized how heavy he'd made his bag. He admired the neat houses on the street. This part of town was more well kept, people cared more about what their yards and houses looked like out here and of course they also had the money to fix whatever was broken. It was nearing 3:30, the neighborhood was mostly emptied. Kids who were picked up from school by their parents would be home by now and most of the other adults were still at work. The only sound nearby came from Severus' trainers on the beat up sidewalk. He turned the corner onto main street and the park came into view. There were two girls at the park, not just the one he'd expected. He figured it was Lily's annoying sister Petunia. She was only two grades above them, they'd run into each other occasionally. She always looked down her nose at him. He figured it was because of the same "weirdness" Lily had. He was aware of the rumors about him but unlike lily, he was more in control of his magical outbursts. The rumors were more based on his parents, particularly his mother. Severus knew they didn't exactly fit in, he could understand the speculation. He just didn't particularly care, two more years and he'd be away from it all. As he drew nearer he could hear the girl's voices. Lily was on the swing while Petunia stood on the ground shrieking at her "Lily! Don't do it!" but it was too late. Lily had let go and launched herself into the air, nothing about the event was particularly unusual except she seemed to be gliding through the air, not free falling to the ground. Severus could tell this wasn't the first time she'd done this but it was the first time he'd seen her smile. She genuinely seemed to enjoy herself. "Mummy told you not too! Mummy said you weren't allowed Lily!"

"But I'm fine" Lily giggled in reply. "Tuney, look at this, watch what I can do". Petunia nervously glanced around, checking that no one was watching the strange happenings of her sister. She obviously hadn't seen Severus who had hidden behind the bushes on the edge of the park. Lily plucked a flower from the grass nearby. Petunia reluctantly came over to see "what she could do" though she was clearly torn on whether to be impressed or afraid. Lily sat the open flower in the palm of her hand and they watched as the petals opened and closed all on their own. "Stop it! It isn't right!" she shrieked again with a hint of jealousy in her voice. "…How do you do it?" Petunia asked pleadingly. "It's obvious, isn't it?" proclaimed Snape as he stepped out from behind the bushes.

"What's obvious?" asked a clearly confused Lily while Petunia stood next to her looking affronted.

"You're a witch" Severus replied

"That's n-not a very n-nice thing to say" Severus could tell lily was hurt, this wasn't what she'd been expecting. Her eyes welled with tears about to spill over.

"You are! You are a witch. I've been watching you for a while. But there's nothing wrong with that. My mums one and I'm a wizard"

Petunia shook with laughter while her sister stood there looking confused but intrigued at the same time. Part of her wanted to believe this boy. "I told you they were a strange family!" Petunia got out between fits of laughter. "This is what you came to explain to my sister?! She's emotional and high strung, but a witch?!" Petunia continued to laugh "Come on Lily, we're going home" Petunia reached for her sisters arm which Lily jerked away, clearly hurt by her sisters reaction. "Prove it" Lily said "P-prove that you're a w-wizard. Severus knew this would happen, that's why he'd come so prepared. Severus proceeded to empty his bag, pulling strange items out, one after another. Lily picked one of the items up off of the ground, what she thought was a stick. This was his proof? A mangy old twig and some text books? Out of the bag came all sorts of items with even stranger names, a rememberal, a sneakoscope, Potions supplies, and even a potion itself. Severus offered Lily the potion. She'd looked under the weather lately anyway, this could be a great way to prove his cause. "Here, drink this" Severus uncorked the potion and handed it to Lily. "Lily, don't! That could be anything" Petunia cried in desperation. Lily merely glared at her sister, still quite angry with her. Lily in fact trusted the Snape boy. She didn't know much about him but he didn't seem like he'd even hurt a fly. Lily tipped her head back and swallowed the potion in one gulp. Instantly she felt her body begin to change. She'd been on the edge of a cold, a cold that now seemed to be disappearing. She felt her nasal passages clear and her mild headache go away. She felt as if she was returning back to her normal self, her healthy self. Lily looked at Severus in disbelief "What is this? She asked and Severus could tell she'd lost her slight stutter, too bewildered to be nervous. "It's a pepper up potion" Severus replied "it helps with illness, lack of sleep, anything that makes you feel off." Lily merely nodded, still trying to process all this information "and what's all this?" she asked, gesturing to the remaining pile of items.

"That there in your hand is a wand, my grandfathers to be exact." Lily almost dropped it, that wasn't the answer she was expecting. "If I'm really a witch like your saying, how come I don't have any of these things?"

"You will. I don't have any of my own stuff either. These are my mothers old things. We'll get our own stuff when we go to Hogwarts in two years".

"Hogwarts? Now you're just trying to be funny" Severus could tell her patience was wearing thin. The potion hadn't been enough. He did have to admit that "Hogwarts" did sound like a name a 9 year old would make up. Lily shook her head in confusion "I still don't understand." Severus grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "Did you ever make anything happen? Anything you couldn't explain when you were angry or scared?" Severus watched as Lily's eyes widened. "Making that glass disappear, landing on the roof, those weren't just unusual incidents. You're a witch Lily. Severus watched as the realization dawned on her, as all the puzzle pieces fit themselves together. Maybe she was foolish for believing him but what other explanation could there be? No one had ever heard of these things happening and they ALWAYS happened when she was around. It all made sense now. Lily leaped forward and pulled Severus into an embrace. They held each other as tears spilled from her eyes. This is what she'd been waiting for, she wasn't unusual, she was special. "Now Lily, you can't tell anyone, you understand?" she nodded her head in approval. "You either Petunia" he continued. Petunia had stood their silently scowling during the whole ordeal. She didn't know how to process it. Was it true? She thought magic only existed in fairytales but even she had to admit that things made more sense now. But what was on her mind most was one question…was she a witch too? This could change their lives, get them out of their miserable home, get their mother away from her abusive spouse. Petunia felt like this was the answer to everything but she was too afraid to ask the one question on her mind. Because what if she wasn't a witch? What if she was just…normal?

"Now, I promised my mom I would be home before dinner so I have to go. Come home with me after school one day and I can show you more. I'm underage so I'm not allowed to perform magic but my mother can.." Severus quickly scribbled his address on a spare piece of paper and handed it to the sisters. He haphazardly shoved his stuff inside his bag in a hurry to make it home. He stood and gave Lily one last hug and smiled at Petunia before waving goodbye and heading home. Just before he rounded the corner he looked behind him at the two stunned sisters. They hadn't expected all that. They would need time to process it but when they were ready they knew where they would find him.


	5. Chapter 5

Lily insisted on knowing everything she could about the wizarding world and her kind of people. She pestered Severus relentlessly to tell her more. They quickly formed a close friendship and spent the majority of their time together. Lily had so many questions. Severus tried to answer them as honestly as he could but there were some even he didn't know the answer to. In the beginning Lily simply asked him to tell her everything he could. They'd talked about Hogwarts. Severus told her the headmaster of the school would meet with Lily's family since they didn't know about the magical world. They talked about the four houses and the virtues of each. Lily had her heart set on Gryffindor but she didn't feel like she'd fit in there. She'd never done anything brave before. Severus or Sev as she called him now wanted to be in Slytherin. His mother, Elieen Prince had been in Slytherin and had come from a long line of Slytherins. He too was worried about his house placement. He was a half blood after all and as far as he knew only purebloods became Slytherins. His mother had raised him differently from how she was raised. She didn't push all the blood purity nonsense onto her son. Blood was blood, it couldn't be dirty as far as she was concerned. It didn't matter where you came from just what you came to be. Perhaps the best example for her beliefs was her muggle husband. If she'd cared about blood like her family did she never would have married a muggle. Of course that decision had distanced her from her family but she didn't care. She had no need to support such racist beliefs. Little did either Severus or Lily know, their house placement shouldn't have worried them. There would be far more pressing issues in the future.

They'd spent months talking about these things. Severus showed her all that he could. They poured over his textbooks together and fiddled with magical objects. So many things screamed that this was Lily's reality but there was a pit in her stomach she couldn't ignore. What if it was all a lie?

One evening after school they ventured to their place by the river, the first place they truly met. They came here most days now. Severus noticed that something was off about Lily that day and decided now was a good time to press the issue. "Lils, what's bothering you?" Lily stayed silent for several moments, twirling a stick between her fingers and concentrating way to hard. "It is real isn't it? It's not a joke?" She gave Severus a nervous glance before continuing. "Petunia says you're lying to me. Petunia says there isn't a Hogwarts. It is real isn't it?" Severus hesitated before answering her. "It's real to us. Not to her. But we'll get to go, you and me."

"R-really? Professor d-Dumbledore will actually. Come visit me?" Severus noticed her slight stutter had returned. It always showed up when she was nervous. As much as she tried to hide it, it usually made it worse. "Look at me" Severus said, lifting her chin so they were eye to eye. "Yes" he said simply. "It's true, it's all true, you'll see." Severus said it with such surety that the doubt was wiped from her mind. Lily glanced down at her lap again still fiddling with the stray twig. "Does…does it make a difference? Being muggle born?" as Lily asked this she saw sadness creep into his eyes. "No" he shook his head fiercely "no Lily, it doesn't make you any different". Severus answered as honestly as he could. He knew she was worried. It didn't do any good to worry her more. Besides, who knew? Maybe things would be different for them. If she was in Gryffindor like she hoped she wouldn't really have to worry about it. No matter the difference it made in the world, it didn't make a difference to him. He pulled her into his arms giving her a reassuring hug. Everything would be okay, wouldn't it?


	6. Chapter 6

The next year and a half passed by quickly. Muggle schooling didn't matter at all for either of them. Dumbledore had come like Severus said he would. After that Lily no longer questioned the reality of her world. On August 1st, 1971 Virginia and Lily accompanied Severus and Eileen to Diagon alley for their school supplies. Their first stop was Madam Malkin's for their school robes of course. Lily's needed to be secondhand for money reasons. Eileen offered to pay for new robes but Virginia was too proud. Besides, second hand robes worked well enough for their use. They were just clothes after all. Next up was Florish and Blotts. The school books also came second hand for Lily. Technically so were Severus' books. He'd studied out of his mum's old books for years and made notes in any area he could. The only books he needed were a part of curriculum changes from when Eileen attended Hogwarts.

They almost had to drag Severus out of the potions shop. He'd never owned his own potions supplies before, he'd always used his mothers during practice. This was a whole store dedicated to his passion. He was practically drooling over the new, shiny Cauldrons. Eileen bought what he needed and no more, much to Severus' displeasure. Lily hooked her arm through his and made him follow her out the door when they were done. Severus gave one last longing glance at the stores inventory before accepting his fate. One day when he could afford to shop here on his own he was likely to buy the shop out of most of their supplies.

Midway through their trip Eileen treated the four of them to ice cream from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Lily chose plain strawberry ice cream. "Something simple and sweet like you" remarked Severus which made her blush. He'd chosen rocky road with all the fixins'. Virginia took the opportunity to get food into her stomach. She didn't like other people spending their money on her but she knew this was a necessity, even if it was ice cream. Virginia chose cheesecake ice cream and Eileen picked rocky road like her son.

Severus and Lily talked about their day while they ate and how excited they were for their next adventure. As excited as Lily was, the revelation of her magical ability had driven a rift between her and her sister. They'd always been close but when Dumbledore came that changed everything. Petunia had never believed Severus until that point. She thought Severus was lying to her little sister and didn't trust him one bit. What hurt Petunia the most was that she herself wasn't magical, she was just Petunia.

They'd read fairytales as most little girls do and they had dreamed of being fairies and princesses and living in such glorious magical worlds. For Lily that dream came true. A dream which Petunia wasn't allowed or simply able to participate in. Lily got to go to school for magic, see unicorns and dragons, do all the things they had wished for as children. Perhaps worst of all, Lily didn't have to live at home. She would only have to deal with the abuse a minimum of 3 months out of the year. Petunia was going to live it everyday. Her life wasn't going to change. She didn't get to escape. Lily understood, she would have felt the same way had the situation been reversed but it was hurtful nonetheless. Lily didn't chose this life, it chose her and she wasn't going to deny her chance at a better life for herself or her family over hurt feelings. Their father had been better lately. He'd started working at a new mill and was bringing in money. He always drank less when he had a job. Lily hoped things would continue to improve at least for Petunia's sake, in a month Lily would be gone, unsure when she'd see her family again.

Severus had noticed the sadness that always seemed to linger in Lily's eyes. The whole time they'd known each other she'd hidden a sadness there. It had never gone away, only changed. Severus had a pretty good idea what it was about. He'd seen how short Petunia had been with Lily and he saw how much it hurt her. He never pressed the issue. She was reluctant to talk about anything related to her family. If Lily wanted Severus to know she would tell him.

Severus put his hand on Lily's knee and gave her a reassuring smile which seemed to jolt Lily from her train of thought. "It'll work out" he tried to promise "She's always going to be your sister." Lily tried to give him a smile but she didn't agree. She just nodded her head and took another bite of her ice cream. Their mothers were talking about mother related things, having a family and a job, taking care of a house, typical worries formed in adulthood. They paid little attention to the conversation between their children.

When they were done Eileen paid the bill, only two more shops to go to. First stop was Ollivander's, everyone got their wands there if course. Lily was nervous and made Severus go first. The strange old man called Ollivander zipped around Severus taking measurements. It was almost like being back at the tailor. What did the length of your neck have to do with your wand? When Ollivander was satisfied with the results he moved onto the next step which to Lily seemed to have no process at all. Ollivander seemingly picked random boxes off of random shelves and handed them to Severus with the instruction of waving the wand. The first wand shattered the glass windows of the shops. Ollivander wasn't nearly as surprised or concerned as any normal human being would be but then again this wasn't the first time he'd sold a wand. Ollivander cried "repairo!" before moving onto the next wand. Lily watched her mother's eyes widen at the sight. She'd heard of the magic but until now she hadn't actually seen it. Lily had had a similar reaction her first time. Four wands later and a wand chose Severus. "11 ½ inches, made of beech wood, dragon heartstring core, and unyielding." Stated Ollivander as he boxed the wand and passed it back. "Truly a wand for artistic prowess and for those with expansive knowledge." Severus stared at the box in his hand. Finally he had one of his own. It was a simple wand, not too ornamental and had been stained black. Everything about this wand seemed to define him. He glanced at his mother who wore a proud smile on her face. Eileen ushered him back towards her as it was now Lily's chance.

Lily experienced the same nonsensical measurements of nearly every part of her body, even the space between her eyes. She anxiously awaited holding a wand for the very first time. Ollivander stared at Lily for a moment deciding what might be best for her. Her first attempt sent wind blowing through the store. She felt a rush of happiness blow inside of her like the wind was outside. It had only taken her two tries to find her match. "10 ¼ inches, made from willow, phoenix feather core, and swishy." Olivander took the wand from her and boxed it ."Crafted for those with great potential" he added with a wink before handing her the box.

Eileen and Virginia had planned one last stop, a surprise for both children. As the four of them were making their way back to the Leaky Cauldron the adults suddenly turned towards one last store. Lily and Severus gave each other a confused look. In front of them was Eeylops Owl Emporium. Virginia had been saving money to buy Lily this treat. Both children were told to pick the pet of their choice. Although the shop had "owl" in it's name owls were far from being the only animal in the store. There were toads of all shapes and sizes, some that required two hands to hold while others could fit in your pocket. There were rats that the shop claimed to be extraordinarily smart tricksters. Cats of all breeds and colors, some kneazle, some regular house cats, and some a mix of both were found in the store. Last but certainly not least (the store was named after them after all) were the owls, snowy owls, eagle owls, horned owls, you name it, they had it.

Severus was immediately drawn to a black kneazle. He sat quietly in the corner looking down on his surroundings and fellow cats. He was skinny and sleek with a tuft of white fur on his chest. This was Severus' pick. He didn't bother to see what else the store had to offer, this cat was meant for him and the cat seemed to feel it as well. The black animal sauntered his way over to Severus. He was large, likely already an adult and a bit heavy to carry. Eileen fished out her coin bag and paid for the new animal. Severus already had a name picked out, Salem. Severus' father had always been a history buff and he has a peculiar fascination for America. Combining that information with the witch trials made Salem the perfect name to Severus.

Lily had taken her sweet time wandering around the store and giving each animal attention. Nothing felt quite right. In the back of the store were "unwanted" pets. Lily had a certain fascination for the animals in that area. She deliberated for quite some time before deciding on an older barn owl. He clearly had seen better days but was still quite capable of flying and doing his owl duties. Lily had always loved to help others. What could be better than giving this animal a home? She chose to name him Archimedes after Merlin's owl. Merlin was well known in the muggle and wizarding world. What better way to pay homage to her past and her future? With Archimedes on Lily's shoulder and Salem walking by Severus' side the four, now 6 of them made their way to the leaky cauldron and headed home with their supplies in tow.


	7. Chapter 7

The month of August dragged on for the both of them. They were out of muggle schooling for the summer and wouldn't return. They anxiously awaited September 1st when their life would really begin. In the meantime they spent every moment together. "Sev? Tell me about the dementors again" Lily asked. Severus sighed and put his book down. "Dementors are scabby, skeletal creatures that feed on the happiness of others. They wear misty clothes and glide through the air." Severus spoke as if he had memorized a book. "You don't need to worry, dementors are for people who do really bad stuff. They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. You're not going to end up in Azkaban, you're too-" Lily and Severus turned around at the sound of rustling leaves. Petunia had been hiding behind a tree spying on them and had lost her footing. She must have followed them here. Neither of them had ever brought someone else to their hiding spot.

"What d'you want?" Severus snapped. He didn't have much patience for the meddlesome Petunia. She was always sneaking around trying to listen to their conversations and never had anything nice to say.

"What kind of dark stuff are you teaching my sister?" Petunia asked. "I know you enjoy that stuff. I've heard the way you talk about curses and dark magic. Don't bring Lily down with you."

There was a crack. A branch over Petunia's head had fallen. Lily screamed. The branch caught petunia on the shoulder and she staggered backward and burst into tears.

"Tuney!"

But Petunia was running away. Lily rounded on Severus.

"Did you make that happen?"

"No." He looked both defiant and scared.

"You did!" she was backing away from him. "You did! You hurt her!"

"No-no, I didn't!"

But the lie didn't convince Lily. After one last burning look she ran from their hiding spot in the trees, off after her sister. Severus felt angry. How could Petunia possibly understand? She didn't know about dark magic, she didn't even understand regular magic. She only believed what she had read in children's tales. Dark magic didn't necessarily make a person bad. Only one who understood dark magic was able to reverse it. Many witches and wizards were incompetent in this area of magic because they'd always believed it to be evil. Anything could be dark magic. It wasn't just the curses like Crucio or Avada Kedavra that were evil. Severus could only imagine the pain that could be inflicted on a human being with spells like "reducto" or "scourgify". Severus was simply trying to learn as much as he could about everything he could and he wasn't "dragging Lily down with him" as Petunia had so lovingly put it.

He'd never intended to hurt Petunia but when Lily was around things were…different. He wasn't in control when she was nearby. He'd let his anger flare when they were startled by Petunia's spying and hadn't had a chance to prevent the accident. He certainly didn't like Petunia or enjoy her presence but he would never intentionally put her in harms way.

Severus didn't expect Lily to return tonight, maybe even for a few days. He knew she was angry and rightfully so. There was no point trying to apologize to her, she wouldn't listen right now and besides, she'd never let Severus into her house before. That certainly wouldn't be happening today.

Severus pulled himself up from the grass and began packing away his things. He walked around town aimlessly for a while, unwilling to go home before deciding on visiting Derek. They had been good friends before Lily came along. He'd neglected his other relationships since then but Severus knew he'd be leaving in a month for good. He'd only be back for short periods throughout the year and this would be one of the few times he could see Derek again. He turned on his heel and headed south in the direction of Derek's home.

Lily was hurt. That had been so unlike Severus. She'd never seen him hurt someone like that before. She knew he didn't do it on purpose but Petunia was still her sister even if they were pulling away from each other. Lily was angry with Petunia for spying. She'd always given Petunia privacy with her friends, Lily expected and would have appreciated the same.

When they got home Lily helped patch up Petunia's shoulder. The branch had left a nasty cut as it scraped her arm on the way down. Petunia tried to start a conversation with Lily, tried to apologize for spying but Lily was having none of it. She concentrated on Petunia's arm and didn't input anything into the one-sided conversation as she cleaned and bandaged the cut. Instead she was seething with rage at the two people who meant the most to her. She left Petunia as soon as she could and headed to their shared bedroom, the bedroom that would soon only belong to Petunia. Lily sat on her worn mattress replaying the incident in her mind. She was angry that Petunia had insinuated Severus was only interested in dark magic and that he was "damaging" Lily with his research. To be honest Lily felt a strange fascination for the dark magic as well but that could have been from her fascination with magic in general.

Lily fingered her wand, imagining spells coming from it. 13 more days until her train ride to Hogwarts. Tobias had offered to drive the Evans family to Kings Cross Station so they could see Lily off. Frank was currently sober as his employment continued to improve and he happily agreed to the trip along with Virginia. Petunia was too young to stay home by herself for such a long period of time and was forced to go with the rest of the family.

Of all the emotions Petunia felt about Lily going to Hogwarts the most prominent was sadness. She was sad she was losing her sister, sad their relationship had grown colder, sad she was being left behind, sad she had to deal with their father on their own, but worst of all she was sad she couldn't go to Hogwarts. It was hurtful knowing there was a whole world out there that she wasn't allowed to be a part of. What was the point of knowing about magic if you couldn't even preform it? Her parents had been so proud the day Dumbledore came. They were proud to have a witch in the family. Lily was special now and Petunia felt her parents viewed Lily that way too but Petunia was just Petunia and always would be. She didn't want to accompany the rest of her family to the train station. It would be the closest Petunia would ever come to the wizarding world while her sister got to jump right into it. There were 13 days until the trip. Each day seemed to get harder and harder but Petunia felt that things would get easier once Lily was gone. Petunia wouldn't be faced with her own inadequacy everyday. She could start to live her life again and be excited for herself. Petunia was starting a new school as well. Things were going to improve for Petunia too, she just didn't feel like it yet.


	8. Chapter 8

Lily and Severus had waited for this moment their whole life. Severus had grown up in a magical household and knew everything about Hogwarts, he was excited to go to the world he'd heard so much about. Lily of course hadn't known that any part of the wizarding world had existed until 2 years ago but she'd always looked forward to the day she could leave home and she'd always dreamed of a second chance, Sev had given it to her that fateful day in the park.  
It was 9 am on the first of September. Severus and Lily's families piled into Tobias' 1963 Volkswagen type 1. It was a classic cherry red color with white accents. It easily fit the 7 of them and the two trunks. Cokeworth was only an hour and a half drive from Kings Cross Station in London. The women and kids went in first. Tobias and Frank put the trunks and pet supplies in after them and each took a front seat. Severus and Lily held Salem and Archimedes on their laps. They couldn't have fit anything else in the VW bus but they did have enough room for all of them. Tobias was in love with his car and took great care of it. It made for a smooth, comfortable ride.

No one talked much during the ride. The adults didn't know each other well enough to hold long conversations without it being awkward. Petunia sat next to Lily and Severus clearly seething with rage at the two of them. Lily and Petunia had gotten in a large fight the night before. Lily's eyes were still red from crying and neither of the sisters would look at each other. Severus sat awkwardly on the other side of Lily shaking his leg in anticipation. He wanted to talk to Lily but it was clear that now was not the time. They couldn't avoid a conversation about Petunia but they couldn't exactly talk with her right next to them. Severus continued to bounce his knee and watched the scenery pass by outside the window. They were still in the country where he could see green fields instead of a mob of cars. Lily sat looking down in her lap like she always did when she upset, paying way too much attention to her hands than a normal person would.

Tobias turned on the radio to fill the awkward silence. He fiddled with the dial until a song sputtered through the static. It was "Come Together" by the Beatles, one of their last songs before they had broken up the previous year. Severus hummed the lyrics while tapping his foot to the beat. He watched as the car turned onto the motorway to be a part of the congestion. Severus reached out and rested his hand on Lily's knee. They were only 11, it didn't mean anything more than friendship but they were closer to each other than they had been to anyone else and slight touches like this had become normal for them. Lily put her hand on top of Severus' and leaned her head on his shoulder letting more tears roll silently down her cheeks.

Petunia sighed and turned even farther away. She was hurt and angry. She had taken a leap by writing out to Dumbledore and seeing if there was anyway to attend Hogwarts with the other two. Of course the reply had been no, she couldn't say she was surprised but it was still deeply disappointing. To make matters worse her sister had found the letter and invaded her privacy, no doubt because she recognized the writing on the letter. Petunia was embarrassed with her foolishness in believing there was something magical about her. Her embarrassment was painful enough to deal with on her own without Lily and her tosser friend knowing about it too. They'd yelled at each other about it all last night and each had said some things that they regretted. It was far too late to take the words back. Each had already known how the other felt about them. You can't exactly go back on honesty but saying the words out loud was so much worse than keeping them hidden. It had been the final nail in the coffin of their relationship. Petunia wiped a tear from her eye that was threatening to drip down her face. Now wasn't the time. She just wished she could be home but that wouldn't happen for several hours. The train was supposed to leave at precisely 11 o'clock and then it would be another hour and a half to head back home. That would put them around lunchtime and she was sure the Snape family would insist on getting lunch. The Snapes knew how poor the Evans family was and enjoyed treating them to meals when they spent time together. Their parents tried their best to get to know each other for the sake of their children but they were too different and the meals ended up being more awkward than anything else. Virginia was a home maker, a stay at home mom, and muggle of course. Eileen was quite the opposite. She ran her own potions business from her house which kept her pretty busy and brought in a steady income, she technically was a stay at home mom as well but not in the same way. Tobias and Frank were both muggles so at least they had that in common but they butted heads on a lot of issues. Frank felt that the Snapes wanted to rub their wealth into the faces of the Evans. They had different political views and they lived on different sides of poverty.

There had been more than a few heated arguments between the two men yet they continued to try for their children. It seemed to be a good distraction for Frank. His drinking was at an all time low. He currently had job security and recently had been given a raise. He still battled with PTSD but those nights seemed to be his only excuse to drink. Tobias was a good sounding board for Franks anger. They could argue without anyone truly getting hurt, Frank's children in particular. Their increasing income had been a big help. They bought Petunia a new bed, Lily didn't need one as she wouldn't be home too often from now until adult hood. They also upgraded themselves from a pullout couch, something they'd slept on for over a decade, for an actual mattress. All of the improvements had been good for the family and their mentality towards each other. Perhaps the most stunning incident was the day Frank gave each of his daughters a hug, something that happened rarely from either of their parents but especially from him. It helped Petunia deal with the fact she was staying behind. At least her home situation had improved and she hadn't been bruised by her father for several weeks.

The VW bus chugged along charing cross road nearing it's final destination. They pulled in front of the station and found a spot nearby. Tobias and Frank unloaded the trunks onto a cart and the rest of the occupants stepped out. In front of them was a large brick building with arched windows and a clock tower in the middle. It was 10:45. Lily and Severus glanced at each other before heading through the doors with their families trailing behind them.


	9. Chapter 9

The 7 of them, (9 if you counted the animals), stepped into the station. It was full of murmurs from the hundreds of occupants in the building. It was filled with a mix of muggles and magical folk. Wizards and witches had been secretly integrating with muggle society for decades. Muggle fashion changed much faster than wizarding fashion, it was hard for them to keep up and resulted in crazy outfits. One man in particular was wearing a Hawaiian shirt with lime green pinstriped pants. He wore a top hat and bowling shoes and stood out like a sore thumb. As unusual as this should be for muggles it was quite normal here. As far as anyone could remember, the station had been filled with strange clothing and even stranger pets. Kings Cross accounted for the majority of Owl sightings in the whole country. There were also rumors that the station was haunted. People seemed to disappear into thin air. The most "supernatural" spot being the column between platforms 9 and 10.

Eileen was the only pureblood witch in their group but she'd been around muggles for so long she dressed like a muggle rather than a witch. The group blended in easily and were paid no attention. They were able to make their way to platform 9 3/4 without any fuss. Eileen instructed the others on how to access the platform. She sent her son first, he was the only other one that knew how.

"See that barrier between the two platforms?" Eileen asked while pointing. "Walk straight into it and you'll reach the platform." She instructed Severus to show the others as they were looking at her like she was crazy. "Best to do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous."

Severus walked straight towards the barrier before looking around him for onlookers. He stealthily pushed his cart through the wall before inconspicuously slipping through it himself. And there it was, the most beautiful train he had ever seen. It was a black and red steam train with "Hogwarts Express" stamped upon it in gold lettering. The sight was truly magical both figuratively and literally. As he gaped at the train in front of him he heard a small "pop" and turned around to see Lily walk through the barrier. Her reaction was instant fascination, just like Severus had experienced. She looked at him with a toothy smile, her previous worries clearly forgotten.

"You ready for this?" He asked

She nodded vigorously, turned speechless by the experience. Five more pops were heard behind them as the rest of their family came through. Everyone but Eileen and Petunia were impressed by the sight and how they had come here. For Eileen this was old hat. Petunia merely looked disappointed. The two magical children raced to the train, excited to explore the inside. They found an empty compartment where they stuck their trunks and animal companions before running back out onto the platform. The train was set to leave any minute. Severus gave both of his parents a loving squeeze and promised to write before anxiously heading back inside. He sat in their chosen compartment watching Lily through the window. Virginia held her in a long hug, something that he knew was very rare. Frank awkwardly patted his daughter on the shoulder, unsure of what to do in the moment. Severus watched Lily and Petunia exchange a few measured words before Lily leaped forward and embraced her sister. Severus watched as a great sadness passed across Petunia's face. Both sisters greatly regretted their tattered relationship. They hugged for a long moment before Lily finally let go and she wiped away what Severus assumed was a tear. Lily walked to the train and turned around one last time to wave goodbye to her loved ones. She walked up the steps where she disappeared from her Family's view. The compartment she and Severus had chosen was close to the steps and it only took a moment to find it again. She sat across from him so they could both see out the window and see each other. Her eyes were watery and her cheeks were stained with tears but she smiled nonetheless.

The train vibrated to life and began to pull from the station. Families on the platform waved goodbye to their children one last time. The next chance for them to return home would be Christmas, nearly 4 months away. The door to their compartment opened to reveal a messy black haired young boy. He was beaming like the others and it seemed this was his first year too.

"Mind if we join you?" The boy asked while gesturing at the taller boy behind him. "All the others are full" he added.

"Yes, of course." Severus replied and he moved to sit next to Lily. The two boys stepped in.

"I'm James by the way, James Potter, and this is…What was your name again?" He asked the other boy.

"Sirius Black" the boy replied. Severus nodded his head, the Potters and the Blacks were both famous names, or infamous depending on your view.

"I'm Severus Snape and this is Lily Evans" Severus knew Lily would be too nervous to introduce herself without stuttering which was not how she wanted her first impression with ANYONE to go let alone her first, first impression. Lily smiled and waved at the mention of her name.

"Snape, that's an unusual name. What's your blood status?" Asked Sirius.

Severus rolled his eyes at the question, of course a member of the family of Black would ask that."Half-blood, my mum's a witch and dad's a muggle. My mothers maiden name is Prince"

"Prince, that sounds familiar. She was a Slytherin Right?"

"Yes." Severus replied simply. Eileen had spoken of the Black family a time or two. They were some of the most crazy blood purists. Of course Sirius would know who his mother was, she was a pure blood Slytherin after all.

James turned to Lily to ask about her lineage as her name was obviously not a wizarding one either. The Potters never cared much for blood status. To them there was no difference in being pure blood and being muggleborn. Lily wasn't aware of the blood status craze and willingly gave away the info that she was a "mudblood." Severus swallowed hard. It had been his one lie to her. He hadn't thought much of it at the time but it would come to be one of his biggest regrets. He would have to tell her the truth eventually. Severus wasn't worried, as long as you weren't apart of Slytherin or mingled with Slytherins your blood wasn't questioned.

The four of them chatted away the whole ride. Severus learned that Potter and surprisingly, Black wanted to be a part of Gryffindor. It was likely Potter would be a Lion but Black came from a long line of snakes. Severus was sure he knew better than to put stock in such foolish dreams. He was also surprised to learn that Sirius didn't agree with his family when it came to blood status, maybe there was hope for him after all.

The sky outside began to darken, the colorful hues of sunset gone. Lily and Severus left to change into their robes, they were rapidly approaching Hogsmeade station. It had been a great day on the train. The seats were comfortable and they'd spent their time with two very entertaining boys and way too much candy than any 11 year old should have. Sirius and James had taken advantage of their absence to slip into their robes as well. Severus and Lily returned just minutes before the train pulled into the station and the students were released. There was a crowd of first years fighting to get out of the train while the older classes stayed behind waiting for the mass of people to clear. Outside the train was a giant of a man, quite literally. He had to be at least 10 feet tall. The man was carrying a large lantern and calling "Firs' years, firs' years over here" Severus and Lily joined the crowd that headed towards a lake while the other years headed towards a path. Eileen had never told Severus how Hogwarts was accessed and he'd never bothered to ask. He thought the train fulfilled that question. Therefore Severus was pleasantly surprised when the large man in front lead them to several rowboats.

"Three ter a boat" he called "and no fallin' into the water"

The 11 year old children clamored to be first into a boat. They pushed against each other trying to reach them. There were precisely the amount of boats needed for the trip. Lily and Severus climbed into one together along with a sickly looking brown haired boy. Once everyone was settled the boats were off. They moved of their own volition and rowing wasn't necessary.

The lake on which they were sailing was surrounded by trees and not much else. As they rounded a bend in the lake the castle came into view. Everyone gasped at once and there were excited murmurs as they sailed nearer toward the cliff the castle was on. The boats sailed into an opening in the cliff where they docked and the children climbed out. Standing on the stone dock was a severe looking woman with her haired pulled tightly into a neat bun underneath her witche's hat. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." The large man gestured towards the woman who pushed her spectacles up her nose before replying "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She turned towards the great oak door behind her which flung open at her command and ushered the students inside after her. The entry hall was magnificent. It was made of tan stone into which arches had been carved. The entire thing was lit by small torches hanging on the walls. Voices could be heard from a room nearby, which Severus guessed belonged to the older students.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start of term feast is about to begin but before taking your seat you must be sorted into your houses. Your house will be an important part of your life here. You will eat with your house, sleep with your house, and take classes with your house. Each house has its own dormitory and common room where you are welcome to spend your free time. There are four houses, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Gryffindor. Each house was founded by an outstanding witch or wizard and has a noble history. While you are here everything you do will either earn points for your house or take them away. The house with the most points at the end of the year will win the house cup, a great honor here at Hogwarts. The Sorting Ceremony will start in a few moments in front of the rest of the school. While you are waiting I suggest you tidy yourselves up." Professor McGonagall finished her speech before walking into the adjacent room full of voicea, leaving her students waiting. The girls tried to fix their hair and straighten their clothing while the majority of the boys just stood there waiting.

"We're ready for you now" Professor McGonagall called from the doorway. The first years filed into the large room after her. The room had five long tables. Four of them faced one direction and housed the students, one for each house, and the fifth lined the front of the room where the staff of Hogwarts sat to keep an eye on their students. The room was filled with empty plates and bored faces of the older students who had witnessed sortings several times.

Professor McGonagall stood next to a stooll in the front of the room, on top of which sat a mangy old hat. "Abdullah, Hafsah" called the professor. A nervous tan skinned girl stepped from the crowd of first years and walked to the front of the room where professor McGonagall placed the hat on her medium brown hair.


	10. Chapter 10

Hafsah Abdullah sat on the rickety stool as the Sorting Hat was lowered onto her head. "Gryffindor!" The hat called the instant it touched her head. Hafsah hoped off the stool with a smile and ran to the predominately red and gold table who were cheering for her.

"Dubois, Charlotte" A girl who look very similar to Lily stepped forward. Charlotte had wine red hair and light green eyes. She was sorted into Slytherin and went to sit with her house.

There were several more students sorted before "Evans, Lily" was called. Lily gulp when her name was said and reluctantly stepped towards the stool. She nervously sat down and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head. "Quite a few traits in here Miss Evans" a voice whispered in her ear. "A great deal of bravery and willingness to prove yourself but also a sly personality, intelligence, and loyalty. Where to put you?" The Hat thought for several moments before coming to a decision. Lily was prepared for it to say Gryffindor, he had mentioned their trait first after all. She never expected what came out of the tear of a mouth.

"Slytherin!" Lily's eyes went wide. She looked over to Sev's face that she could see was filled with fear. Professor McGonagall had to prod her off the seat and pointed her towards her spot. Slytherin was excited for their new member. They had no clue she was muggleborn.

"Lupin, Remus", the boy who sat behind her and Severus on the boat was sorted into Gryffindor. "Potter, James", the boy with the messy hair she'd had so much fun with on the train was also sorted into Gryffindor where the other boy, Sirius Black had been placed. There were quite a few sortings before it was Severus' Turn.

Severus wasn't worried for himself. It didn't really matter where he went. He thought his affinity for dark magic would put him in Slytherin with Lily. That would be the best situation, she would need protection in that house. He didn't understand how she had gotten placed there. As far as Severus knew, no muggleborn had ever been placed in Slytherin. That house and it's founder were infamously against muggleborns. Most members of that house referred to them as mudbloods. The house that was picked for Severus was Ravenclaw. He wasn't necessarily surprised, he'd grown up with smart parents and that had been passed down to him. He sat between two other boys at the blue and bronze table.

Forty three students were sorted that year.  All four houses seemed to be very welcoming to their new students. New blended with old and they chattered amongst themselves. When the sorting was finished, Professor McGonagall returned to her seat and Head Master Dumbledore took the stand. With his intoxicatingly rich voice he gave this year's welcome speech.

"Welcome and Welcome back. I invite all of our new pupils to become proud members of their houses and to contribute to the school. We are all better as one and it does no good to fight amongst ourselves." at this he eyed the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables before continuing. "Enough prattle from an old man. Tuck in." With a wave of his hand at his last word the tables filled with food. There were meats of every kind. From the normal chicken and beef to the more unusual dragon. Meals were found from all kinds of the world to welcome each student. The student body was varied in color and culture. The school served typical English food alongside Indian, Korean, Filipino, Peruvian, and a variety of other countries. There were only a few meals like this throughout the year, used only for special events but they catered to a variety of tastes. It helped make the students feel more at home and more welcome especially the new comers. Lily chose to eat chicken korma with her pumpkin juice. She'd grown up in a poor, English family. Indian food had never been an option and now was her chance to try it. Severus loaded his plate with adobo, a filipino dish. His logic was the same.

Severus and Lily were on complete opposites of the room, they couldn't even see each other. They had been sorted and there was nothing they could do to change their houses. This would be their first impression with their house and they had to make it good. They had to make friends outside each other or neither of them would survive.

Lily was unaware how bad the blood craze in Slytherin was, how they hated people of her kind. From how she'd heard the three boys on the train talking she figured it was an important topic and chose to keep her blood status to herself until she could talk to Severus for help. Whenever the question came up with her and her new peers she found a way to discretely change the subject. She had sat between Stephanie and Jane and spent the majority of the night talking to the two girls.

When dinner was over and everyone was nearly stuffed the desert options appeared. Lily hadn't had many sweets in her life. She went with simple apple pie, nothing that would be too hard on her stomach.

Severus was one of four Ravenclaw boys in the new year. The four of them sat near each other with two on each side of the table. Severus sat so that he was facing the Slytherin table, hoping to catch any glance he could. David and Taylor were both Purebloods with a love for quidditch. They spent the majority of the time talking about their favorite sport and bickering about teams. Oliver was muggleborn, the only person in the group he could relate to was Severus. They talked about their muggle schooling and their families. Severus learned that Oliver had been born in America but moved to England when he was five after his father had gotten a job in Lancashire.

When the feast was finished, Dumbledore stood up to bid them all goodnight and issue the typical warnings. He instructed the students to follow the prefects to their dormitories where they spent the rest of their night. It was nearing bedtime and the student body was tired from their train ride.

Severus was able to catch Lily's attention before they went their separate ways. They waved goodbye with one last longing look towards each other as he headed up to Ravenclaw tower and she headed down to the dungeons.


	11. Chapter 11

Lily followed the mass of silver and green into the damp, musty dungeons. Magic could only change so much. The bleakness dungeons carry still remained. Lily didn't understand how this had happened. These people were so different than her. Sev had said nearly all the dark wizards had come from Slytherin but she wasn't dark, was she? She had to admit that she carried some of the Slytherin traits but no more than any other house. She'd have to speak with Dumbledore, something was very, very wrong.

The prefects led them to an inconspicuous stone wall. The fair, blonde, girl prefect uttered the password, "pure blood" and a doorway appeared within the stone. The prefect turned the handle and open the door to a classy room decorated in their house colors. On the far wall there were windows which Lily guessed looked into the lake but it was too dark to see anything right now. There were a couple sets of regal looking couches and chairs spread throughout the room. One wall held a massive fireplace, an important piece in such a cold area of the castle. Opposite the wall with the fireplace were two hallways, one for the boy dormitories and one for the girls. Lucius Malfoy was the boy prefect. He led his students down the "boys" hallway to the last room. Narcissa Black, the girl prefect led the first year girls down the other long hallway to its last room. Narcissa gave them a warm welcome and introduced her self before letting the girls go for the night and hurrying off.

Lily was to share a room with six other girls, Stephanie, Jessica, Nora, Gracia, Lynne, and Charlotte. It was a modest bedroom with two of it's own port holes. All seven beds fit on one wall, each one had a trunk at the end and a night stand on the right side. Across from the beds on the other side of the room was a fireplace and two chairs. The student's belongings had already been brought up and beds assigned. Lily was to sleep on the third bed from the door, next to one of the windows. She striped off her rope and kicked off of her shoes. She folded the robe nicely before putting it in her trunk and taking out her Pjs. She paused, what did witches wear to bed? Would it matter that she was wearing muggle clothing? She bundled the clothes up and hurried into her bed. She drew the curtains closed to finish changing. Lily reopened the curtains to find her new roommates wearing similar bed clothes and blew a sigh of relief, one worry down, countless others to go.

Lily wandered until she found the bathroom, Narcissa had neglected to show them that, she'd been in too much of a hurry to leave. Lily assumed it was because of Lucius. She'd caught them making googly eyes at each other during dinner, something silly that only couples did. The girls bathroom was the first door down the hall. Lily ran in to quickly brush her teeth before heading to bed for the night.

She didn't say anything to any of the other girls that night. She was too worried about what information could be shared and what couldn't. Lily bid them goodnight and climbed under the blankets. She fell asleep listening to the other girls gossip.

Lily was the first one up the next morning. It was 6:30, breakfast was at 8. She quietly got dressed before sneaking out of the room. Professor Slughorn was in his office preparing for the day. Lily slipped inside. "E-excuse me, sir?"

"Merlin's beard!" he exclaimed "You took me by surprise Miss…?"

"E-evans, sir, L-lily Evans."

"What can I do for you Miss Evans?"

"I need to speak to headmaster Dumbledore, sir, I think the sorting hat made a mistake"

"Now why would you think that, young lady? Is there something wrong with being a snake?"

"N-no! Not at a-all, sir! It's just that…well I'm muggle born, sir."

Professor Slughorn's eyes widened with fear. He knew the prejudices his house held, as much as he tried to quell them he would never be able to change everyone's mind, not with the beliefs these children grew up with. The problem was more than just at school, it was at home too and Slughorn was well aware of the trouble that was brewing because of it.

"Yes, yes, I think it best that we discuss this with Dumbledore. He won't be available until classes are over this afternoon. Your last class of today is Potions, that's with me. Stay behind and I'll take you up after class. Until then I think it would be wise not to tell anyone else that you're muggle born."

Lily nodded in understanding although she was a little down hearted. Professor Slughorn made her feel as though her birth right was something to be ashamed of. She'd only been in his office a few minutes. Lily decided to return to her room and pack her belongings for the day after which she would go and visit Archimedes.  _ The owlery shouldn't be too hard to find _ Lily thought before heading on her way.

Severus watched Lily head towards the dungeons for as long as he could. When she disappeared from view Severus continued to follow his fellow classmates and prefect to their tower. The entrance to the common room was an old wooden door located on the fifth floor of Ravenclaw tower. The door didn't have a handle to open it with. Instead there was a Bronze colored Eagle which doubled as a door knocker. One of the prefects, a girl named Keziah, used the eagle to knock on the door.

"I'm tall when I'm young, I'm short when I'm old, what am I?" asked the eagle. It was only a few seconds before Keziah came up with the answer. "A candle" she stated. At this the door flung open and they were faced with a small circular room dressed in blue and bronze. Near the door was a large wooden fireplace. Across from it was a small, fluffy couch and a couple of chairs. There were chairs and a couple tables scattered around the room. In the back of the room was a large staircase that veered in two different directions, one side for girls and the other for boys. Next to the staircase was a large bookcase filled with tattered books.

Keziah lead her students to their dorms while Blake, the male prefect, led the male students up the other staircase. The staircase had several flights, each with its own room. The room for first years was located at the very top. The dormitory was round like the common room had been. There were four beds, one for each boy, Taylor, David, Oliver, and himself. Severus' trunk was placed at the end of a bed by the door. Salem was curled up asleep on top of his bed.

Severus did the same as Lily, undressed and prepared himself for bed. His mind was too preoccupied with her sorting to pay much attention to anything else. He climbed into bed with worry on his mind while the other 3 boys stayed up talking. He'd have to speak to Dumbledore but this. Something had to be done. She wouldn't be safe in that house.

Morning came and Severus was up early. He searched for Professor Flitwick and eventually found him in a classroom.

Severus knocked on the open door "can I speak to you for a moment, sir?"

"Why of course Severus! Come on in!"

Severus was surprised the small wizard already knew his name. He walked into the classroom and closed the door before speaking.

"It's kind of a sensitive matter, sir. Yesterday at the sorting one of my good friends was sorted into Slytherin."

"What's wrong with that Master Snape? We can't all be in the same house you know."

"There's nothing wrong with Slytherin, I come from a long line of them myself actually." Severus drew in a large breath before continuing. "You see, this friend of mine, well she's muggle born, sir."

Professor Flitwick squeaked in fear. "I see, that is a problem. Unfortunately Severus there's nothing I can do. It's up to her head of house and Headmaster Dumbledore of course."

Severus nodded in understanding. "Do you know where I could find the Headmaster?"

"He won't be available until after classes today, it is the first day you know. I must ask you not to bother him until then but his office is located on the third floor in the Headmaster's tower. The password is "lemon drop."

"Thank you, sir." Severus nodded before leaving the room. He decided to go to the owlery, his mother would like to know what house He'd been sorted into and how his first night had gone.

The owlery was in a tower connected to the castle but the entrance was located on the outside. Severus opened the great oak doors of the castle and headed towards the tower. At the base of the staircase he saw a head full of red hair bouncing up the steps and he smiled.  _ Lily  _ he thought to himself and hurried up the steps.

It wasn't hard to catch her, he was in a hurry, she was not. Severus waited outside and peeked through the doorway where she was petting her owl.

"Boo!" he cried and Lily jumped

"Sev! Don't do that!" she sounded exasperated but gave him a big, toothy grin before giving him a warm hug.

"How was your first night in the castle Lils?"

"Fine, uneventful. I wish you'd told me how much blood matters though" she was looking solemnly at her owl as she spoke.

"I know, I should have, I'm sorry Lils. I didn't think it would be a problem. Once they see what a great person you are it won't even matter." Severus swallowed, even he didn't believe his own words.

Lily scoffed "like my personality has ever made a difference before."

He nodded, it was true, even he had avoided her at first although he would never admit that to her. "We'll spend all of our free time together. I promise."

Lily nodded in response. They didn't have many classes together. Typically Gryffindors and Slytherins shared classes while Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw shared the others. They wouldn't see each other at meals either but at least they still had time after class and they'd have the weekends. They could make this work.

"Have you written to your parents yet?"

Lily shook her head.

"Neither have I, I was coming up to do that actually."

Severus pulled a piece of paper and a pen from his bag and scribbled a quick note before selecting a school owl and sending it off. Pens were a muggle artifact but they were a much better alternative to quills. Severus never understood why wizards didn't have pens or pencils. In some ways the wizarding world was quite underdeveloped. Severus grabbed Lily's hand and led her toward the steps. Together they walked down the staircase and into the castle, only letting go of each other when other people came into view.

"Bye Lils. Meet me after school by the lake, ok?"

"I will Sev."

She gave him a quick hug while no one was looking then ran to sit at the Slytherin table for breakfast. Severus watched her go before joining his own roommates at their table.


	12. Chapter 12

"Who was that redheaded girl you were hugging?" Oliver asked before Severus even sat down

"No one, just a friend from my hometown. Hi to you too by the way." Severus threw his leg over the bench and sat down to load his plate with typical English breakfast food.

"I thought you said you lived in a muggle city?"

"I did, she was the only other magical kid in town, kept it well hidden. She's a half blood too." Severus lied. He had to say something. "What about you? You're muggleborn. Any other magical kids?"

"No" Oliver sighed "I was the only special one" he winked and the other boys snickered.

The four boys continued to talk through breakfast and get to know each other. They would become fast friends where there were only four of them. At the Gryffindor table Severus could see a similar situation. The boys from the train were sitting with the only other two boys in Gryffindor this year. Severus recognized James, Sirius, and Remus but wasn't sure about the other boy. He was a short chubby child who liked to fidget. His twitchiness reminded Severus of a Rat.

Breakfast started at 8 but the students could come at anytime between 8 and 9. It was 8:10 and the room was still mostly empty. This made it so Severus and Lily could see each other. Severus had sat so that he would be facing Lily from across the room in case such a thing happened. He watched as she talked to her new roomates, likely getting to know them as he was. Lily was sitting by the other red haired girl in her class. They were the only two first years there so far.

Xxxx

"So what's your blood status Lily? Where are you from?" Charlotte asked as she took a bite from her bacon.

"Oh, just some muggle town, you probably don't know it."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a half blood. My mom's a witch, dads a muggle." Lily continued hurriedly

Charlotte nodded "That explains the name, 'Evans' isn't a wizarding name. What was your mom's maiden name?"

"You probably don't know it. She grew up in Ireland and was homeschooled, never attended Hogwarts. Most of her family was home schooled so they aren't well known" It wasn't entirely a lie, her mom was home schooled in Ireland just not the schooling Charlotte thought.

Nora, Jessica, and Lynne arrived and sat next to them. Nora was busy talking about some "cute" Hufflepuff boy she'd quite literally ran into this morning. The conversation between the five of them shifted to boys. Lily mentioned she'd had a crush on a boy back home but it was unlikely anything would happen. Of course, Lily didn't mention that that same boy had come with her to Hogwarts. They continued to chat about girly things when the last two girls arrived.

Shortly before classes were to start, the heads of houses walked down the tables handing out schedules. First for the day was Herbology with the Slytherins and Ravenclaws. One of the few classes they would have together. They were to meet in greenhouse one.

Of course, this was their first lesson so it focused on the basics of herbology and how it pertains to potions. They learned how the quality of the plants affect the quality of the potions. Shriveled or nearly dead plants would be useless in life saving potions. It was important to use the best of the best and to know what that was.

The majority of the class listened with rapt attention, jotting down every bit of information they could, Lily was among them. Severus however seemed bored. His notebook lay in his bag untouched. He'd grown up with one of the best poitioneers in the country. His mother had taught him all of this years ago. When the bell sounded and class was released, the room was filled with sounds of rustling paper as students stuffed their belongings away. Severus was the first out of the classroom. He hadn't needed to take notes, not yet anyway. Lily was close behind him. Severus and Eileen had taught her a lot of the basics. She knew most of this too but she wasn't about to leave class without anything to study. This was her life now and she wasn't about to let it slip away.

They had fifteen minutes to get to their next class, another that they shared together. This time it was charms. Their next classes were expected to go the same way as the first, basics, basics, basics. In charms they learned basic wand movements. They didn't actually get to cast any spells but one day they would and these movements would be a critical part. Lily quickly became the teacher's pet. She had studied some of the material before school and charms was something she'd really enjoyed reading about. She was the first one to come up with an answer to Flitwick's questions while Severus didn't raise his hand once, this wasn't his strong suit or favorite subject. They each excelled in their own things.

A quick lunch was held after the second class. Lily headed to history of magic while Severus was off to transfiguration, another subject he was to perform poorly at. Transfiguration turned out for be exceptionally easy for the Gryffindor boys, James and Sirius in particular. It took Peter and Remus a few more tries to transform their pin but they also got the hang of it before anyone else. While they got to preform their first spells of the day, or ever as was the case with some students, Lily was nearly bored to death in History of Magic. She was quite certain the sheer boredom of it is what did Professor Binns in. She apparently wasn't the only one to have this thought as she heard one of the other Slytherin students mention it on their way out of class.

Lily's last class of the day was Potions meanwhile Severus would be in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Lily had learned a lot from Mrs. Snape. She was no where near as knowledgeable as Severus but she did have a leg up on the rest of her class. Slughorn was a rather boring teacher. He talked and moved slowly, the only speed his large stature allowed. He was enamored with the students who had famous family members such as James Potter. James' father, Fleamont Potter, had created "Sleekeazy's Hair Potion", a feat that was clearly ignored by his messy haired son. Slughorn kissed up to anyone he could, scoring any prize he could manage in the process be it quidditch tickets or information. If you couldn't provide this for him then he had no interest in you. This of course was his most Slytherin trait and he knew how to use it.

Even though Lily had spoke to him earlier that day and her own sorting was quite unusual, even to him, it was like she was invisible. Her hand was passed over when questions were asked and they we're answered by the famous students of course. It wasn't about knowledge here, being a muggle born made her worthless to him unless it was a one on one conversation.

The class dragged by for her. She was internally seething for she knew most of the answers to the questions Professor Slughorn had asked, he had skipped over her every time. Lily had been excited to show her knowledge in the subject, the only one she knew this well and frankly she was quite disappointed.

When class ended Lily stayed behind as she'd been told. Professor Slughorn ushered the last of the students out before turning around to what he assumed to be an empty classroom having forgot about Lily.

"Yes miss? Can I help you?"

"Professor Slughorn? You were going to take me to see Headmaster Dumbledore after class."

"Oh, right, right, right. The mind tends to slip when you get to my age."

Lily gave a slight smile in return, unsure of what to say to that.

"Well then, best we be on our way, he is expecting us."

Lily followed the potions master out of the classroom. It was a silent walk to the third floor, neither of them knew anything about each other and didn't intend on that changing.

"Lemon Drop" Professor slughorn said to a large, ugly gargoyle. Upon hearing the password, the gargoyle stepped aside revealing a spiral staircase which worked in nearly the same manner as an escalator. The two of them rode up the stairs in their continued silence.

The door sprung open as they reached it. Lily was surprised to see not just the Headmaster but her dear friend as well. Lily and Severus sat next to each other in front of Headmaster Dumbledore and his desk. Professor Slughorn sat off to the side, more of an onlooker than anything else.

"Lily, Severus, what brings you here?" Dumbledore said with a knowing sparkle in his eyes. The two of them glanced at each other before Lily spoke up.

"W-well, sir, I wanted to know why I was placed in Slytherin? Surely you remember that I'm a muggle born. I may not know much about the wizarding world yet but even I know that that has to be a mistake."

"What makes you think that?" Headmaster Dumbledore asked behind clasped fingers.

"Isn't it obvious? Everyone there is Half blood or more and I've never even done anything dark or dangerous in my life."

"Blood status is more complicated than that, dear Lily, and much less important. You are not the first muggle born to enter that house and you certainly won't be the last. Oh no, it is rare but it does happen. The only one who can decide where we go is the Sorting Hat and he hasn't failed yet. He was created by the founders you know? Salazar Slytherin, the founder of Slytherin house wished to banish anyone from the school who wasn't pure blood. He thought his ideals would be enough to keep that true but alas, he was wrong. Pure blooded witches and wizards are not the only ones who can carry Slytherin traits. I'm a very cunning man, if I don't say so myself yet I'm a Gryffindor through and through."

Lily stayed silent unsure of what to say. Severus knew the headmaster wasn't done speaking and he chose to wait and see how this conversation unfolded.

"My dear Lily, do you know how muggle borns occur? How a magical child is born to two non-magical parents?"

Lily shook her head.

"Somewhere in your family line magic did exist at one point. Squibs are children who were born to magical parents but cannot preform any magic themselves. Of course, Squibs marry and have children and their families continue to grow. Sometimes down that family line the magic reappears. That is what happened to you. Lily, you aren't here by accident, you are here because you deserve to be."

Lily nodded and kept her face emotionless but inside she was beaming.

"Slytherins aren't full of bad wizards. Many of them go on to do great things. Look at Mrs. Snape" The headmaster gestured towards Severus. "Do you consider her a dark wizard?"

"No, sir." Lily replied

"Professor Slughorn here, he isn't a dark wizard. He's remained as loyal and as true to the light as one can be. Being a Slytherin doesn't make you a bad person."

Severus chimed in "But what about her blood? You know what she'll be called living in that house, the danger that she'll be in."

"Of course I do, Severus, but I cannot change her sorting. She is where the Hat wished her to be. I can only urge you, Lily, to come to me or any member of the staff here at Hogwarts if you ever feel unsafe. I ask that you not reveal your true blood status while you are here. It is nothing to be ashamed of but these children grew up differently than you. They grew up in prejudiced homes and have been taught they are better than anyone who doesn't share their blood status. I do not wish those beliefs to bring you harm. If you must divulge your status I would say you're a Half Blood with a muggle father and magical mother."

Lily felt a wave of relief wash through her, that was precisely what she had done.

"Be careful roaming this halls, you never know where danger may lurk." With these last words the Headmaster rose from his chair. Lily and Severus knew the conversation was over and stood from their seats as well to head for the door.

"Professor Slughorn, I have some matters I'd like to discuss before you leave…" Headmaster Dumbledore's voice trailed away as the two students walked from the room.


	13. Chapter 13

The days went by quickly. They were both so busy all the time. When they weren't in class they were busy doing homework or studying. They met every day after class under the large willow tree by the lake and would just spend time together like they used to. Lily got along well with all of her roommates but she had become particularly close to Charlotte. When Lily wasn't with Severus she was with Charlotte. Severus had become good friends with his three roommates and spent a lot of time with them as well. Those friendships weren't the same to either of them. They always came back to each other.

A few weeks after school started the bullying began in Slytherin house. Lily had been sitting in the common room working on some astronomy homework when a 4th hear named Destinee made Lily her new target.

"Smells like a filthy muggle in here. Must be the mongrel." She glared at Lily. Lily was one of only a few half bloods in the house (or so they thought) and they treated her as such. Witches and wizards who married muggles were considered blood traitors. Destinee yanked Lily's head back by grabbing a fistful of her hair and called over one of her cronies, Isabelle. Lily fought back as much as she could but it was hopeless with two of them on top of her. "Let's take her to the bathroom and wash the muggle stench off" Isabelle had said. Charlotte and Stephanie walked into the common room as the other two girls were trying to drag Lily into the girl's bathroom. "Hey! What are you doing to her? Get off of her!" Charlotte ran forward and shoved Destinee away from Lily. Isabelle pulled out her wand while the other girls were distracted and sent a stinging hex at Charlotte. Stephanie retaliated with "expelliarmus" from behind Isabelle's back and rushed forward to grab her wand as it flew out of her hand. While the other four girls remained fighting, Lily snuck away and found Narcissa Malfoy in her dorm nearby. With a silent flick of her wand, Narcissa sent the four wands flying her way. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked with cold fury.

"Just trying to get rid of the half blood trash." Replied Destinee, shooting a dark glare towards Lily.

"Just because her mother was a blood traitor doesn't mean she is"

"As good enough as" Isabelle scoffed "You've seen that greasy git she hangs around with. He's just as bad as she is, Half blood as well too."

"Why do you care about that stupid Ravenclaw? He wasn't good enough to be in Slytherin anyway."

"He hangs around this one" Isabelle pointed to Lily "and it makes all of us look bad".

"Enough. I'm not happy to be disturbed and I better not catch you girls at it again." Narcissa slapped the four wands on a nearby table and returned to her room.

Lily ignored the name calling that Narcissa had ceased to stop and headed for her own room amidst the yells. She guarded her bed with a few simple wards Severus had taught her and cast "muffliato", a spell he had just created, before climbing into bed. No one would be able to disturb her. She was supposed to meet Severus soon but chose not to go and spent the rest of the night in her bed crying. The bullying at her old school had been bad but nothing compared to this. She could handle the name calling, not being assaulted. She kept the incident to herself. She was too embarrassed and hurt to report it like Headmaster Dumbledore had asked.

Charlotte tried to coax Lily to come out but Lily ignored her. Charlotte finally gave up and went to find Severus. He had been waiting for Lily for nearly an hour. It wasn't like her to not show up. Severus was worried about her but he didn't want to leave in case she did come. Charlotte found him under the willow tree and told him what happened. He was furious. Severus marched straight to the Headmaster's office with Charlotte and demanded to be seen. Dumbledore was appalled by the actions of the two older girls. They were given several weeks of detention cleaning the bathrooms the "muggle way". Quite frankly the punishment only made things worse and the bullying continued, just more discreetly. Lily stayed away from Slytherin house as much as possible, only returning in the evenings and leaving as early as she could the next morning. Charlotte had stayed by her side ever since that one day. Stephanie had supported her too but they didn't have the same connection.

Xxxx

It was December now, time for them to return home. Severus and Lily had both decided to go home for the holidays. Severus had always enjoyed Christmas with his family and he hated to miss out on it. Lily wanted to get away from Slytherin for a bit and she wanted to make sure Petunia was ok being by herself. They had both packed the night before and were expected to leave after breakfast. Severus and Lily quickly ate a small breakfast before meeting under their tree.

"Lily, are you okay?"

Lily was plucking pieces of grass from the ground, something she always did when she was upset.

"Going home isn't the same for me as it is for you."

"I know, bu-"

"No Sev, you don't. I'm trading one hell for another, one set of bullies for my dad. I'm going back to an alcoholic father, a mother beaten into submission, and a sister that hates me so no, you don't get it, you don't get any of it." Lily stood up and left. She wasn't in the mood to fight, especially with Severus. He would never understand and it only hurt her to try and make him. Lily went to the owlery to visit Archi. He'd be staying at Hogwarts. There was no point bringing him but she'd miss her pet owl dearly. She came to visit him every day after dinner and would sneak him some meat she'd grabbed from the table. Archimedes nibbled on her finger as she stroked the feathers under his beak. A tear rolled down Lily's cheek. "I'm going to miss you Archi, but it's only two weeks, I'll be back. Be a good little owl while I'm gone, don't eat too many mice." Lily wiped the tears from her eyes and gave him one last stroke and a kiss goodbye before leaving. It was time to catch the train.

She didn't wait for Severus before she boarded. It wasn't fair to him that she was mad but she couldn't help her feelings. She found an empty compartment and slipped inside. The door slid open a few minutes later and Severus entered. "Lils? Can we talk?"

"There's nothing to talk about"

"I don't want you to be angry with me"

"I'm not angry with you it's just…you don't understand and when you try to it just makes things worse."

"I'm sorry, I'll try not to then."

The door slid open again to reveal 4 boys and brought their conversation to a halt. "Well, we meet again" said James with a grin on his face. "Mind if we join you ladies?" Severus rolled his eyes, this wasn't the first joke he'd heard about his shoulder length hair. Lily waved them in and the boys sat. "interrupting a break up are we?" Sirius asked, noting the redness of Lily's face. Lily gave a fake laugh "No, nothing like that."

"Well you know James obviously but I don't believe you've been formally introduced to these two. This handsome devil is Remus" Remus blushed and raised his hand a bit. "and this not so handsome devil is Peter". Lily knew Sirius was just trying to be funny but she saw a bit of sadness enter Peter's eyes at the comment.

"That's not nice Sirius. Peter is a perfectly fine boy." Lily said. Peter blushed and lowered his eyes, Sirius remained quiet. It was a tense ride home. Severus and Lily had obviously had a fight before the other boys arrived. The boys joked around together and ate sweets from the trolly. Lily looked out the window and ignored them, just wishing she could be alone.

It was dark by the time the Train arrived in King's Cross Station. Severus and Lily exited to find Eileen waiting for them. Eileen had volunteered to bring both children home as she could do it much quicker than anyone else. They exchanged hugs and hellos and waved goodbye to friends in the station.

"Have you ever apparated my dear?" Eileen asked Lily.

"I don't even know what that is"

"Hold on tight then" Eileen winked.

Both children grabbed a hold of her arms and with a  pop  they were home.

Lily greeted her parents by vomiting in the bushes, not quite the welcome they'd expected.


	14. Chapter 14

Eileen reassured Lily that barfing was a normal reaction to apparating for the first time. Lily honestly didn't know if there would be a second time after that experience. Severus and Lily went their separate ways and spent the rest of the night with their families. Nothing had changed for Severus. His mum still brewed potions from home and his dad still managed one of the mills in town. Everything was as Severus had left it.

Lily's father had relapsed and recently was fired from yet another job. Petunia had taken the brunt of his anger. She was one more mouth to feed and body to dress. If it had just been Virginia and Frank he would have been happier and they would have more money, or so he thought. In reality he would just be more drunk, having more money to spend at the pub. Lily was sure her mother would have left years ago if she could. It was just two expensive. Petunia was more down hearted than ever. She was the only punching bag around now.

The next morning, Lily had an idea. She went to visit the Snape family. Lily rapped on their door. It was a Saturday so both of Severus' parents were home. Tobias answered the door.

"Well, hello Lily, nice to see you. Come in, I'll go find Severus."

"Actually I was wondering if I could speak with your wife"

"Sure…sit, make yourself comfortable. 'Leen! Can you come here a minute?" a taken aback Tobias called into the house. Eileen emerged from her potions room. "What is it dear?"

"Miss Evans came to visit, said she wanted to speak with you. I'll leave you two be." Tobias left the room, probably to find Severus.

"What can I help you with, Lily?" Eileen wondered

"Well, I had a question about how we apparatused home yesterday."

"It's called apparating, dear, but go on."

"Right, well I was wondering if muggles could apparate?

"Well, under normal circumstances it isn't allowed but exceptions can be made. Muggles can't apparate themselves but a witch or wizard can take them somewhere like we did yesterday. It's called side along apparition."

Lily nodded her head in understanding.

"Which muggle do you wish to apparate with?"

"Well, I have a grandmother who lives in London. My mum and Petunia need to get away from my father. He's dangerous and I'm afraid one day he will truly hurt them. My mums wanted to leave for a long time but never had the money to travel to her parents. I'm hoping my grandparents will take the two of them in."

"Have you talked to anyone else about this? Your mum? Grandparents?

"No, I haven't. I wasn't sure how it all worked."

"Well there is another way to travel, it would probably be easier and more legal. Its called a port key."

"What's that?"

"Well we take a random object, like this candle for example and turn it into a port key. Then the people wishing to travel grab on and they will be taken to a predetermined location. It'll be easier to bring belongings along with them."

"is that a possibility to do with my family?"

"Oh, absolutely. Will your father be home tonight?

"More than likely he'll be at the pub."

"Perfect. Why don't you bring your sister and mother over for dinner tonight and we can talk to them about this plan of yours?"

"That would be great, Mrs. Snape." Lily could feel her eyes filling with tears. This was the chance her and her family had waited so long for. "Is Severus home?"

"Yes, he's in his bedroom. First door on the right at the top of the stairs."

"Thank you again, Mrs. Snape."

Lily stood up and headed for Severus' door.

XXxX

Severus was upstairs studying when he heard someone knock on the door downstairs. He'd been about to get up when he heard his father answer it and call for his mother. Ten minutes later there was a knock on  _ his  _ door. He opened the door to a teary eyed but smiling Lily.

"Lily, are you okay? What happened? Is it your father again?

"Well yes, and no."

"I don't understand?"

"I came to speak to your mum about apparating."

"How come?"

"My father has gotten worse again. We can't keep living like this. I can't leave my family behind with someone I know has gotten worse again. I came up with a plan to get them away from him."

"You can't apparate Lily, not until you're 17" Severus said with his arms crossed and brow knitted together.

"Let me finish, Sev. The three of us, Petunia, my mum, and I are joining you for dinner tonight. Your mum is going to talk to them about setting up a port key to London where my grandparents live."

"That would be great Lils! But what would happen to your father?"

"I don't know. He'd probably be happier without us" Lily replied sadly. "He could easily afford to support himself if he didn't have to worry about the rest of us." It hurt Lily to admit it but they would probably all be better off without each other. Severus gave her hug. "I'm happy for you, Lils. Should we go down to our spot by the river?"

"Maybe in a bit, I promised my family I'd spend time with them today. Besides, it looks like your busy cooking up some new spells, you'll have to show me how to do it one day."

"It's not easy but I can certainly try."

Lily smiled "Thanks Sev, see you at dinner."

xXxX

Severus put his head in his hands. He was trying to come up with a protection spell for Lily to use at school but he couldn't find the right words to make it work. It would have to last longer than a blocking spell but also be able to follow her around. Severus sighed and put down his pen. He went downstairs to find a snack. His mother was in the kitchen preparing dinner. She was serving beef wellington and Yorkshire pudding.

"Hey mum" said Severus as he rifled through the pantry. "Lily told me about her plan. What do you think?"

Eileen sighed "I don't know. I don't know if Virginia will go for it but its worth a try. I'm not sure what will happen to Frank."

"Lily seems to think he'll be fine."

"I hope so. He seems like a nice person when he's not drunk."

"You haven't seen what he's done to his family."

"I've seen enough, Severus. Can you help me set the table?"

XXxX

Lily and her family arrived at 6:30 for dinner. Petunia and Virginia didn't know why they were there. They thought it was simply an invitation for dinner. Eileen brought up the situation.

"Lily came by earlier today with a question."

"What was that, Lily?" her mum asked.

"Well…you know how you've thought about leaving and living with grandma?"

"Yes" Virginia replied sternly, obviously not happy her daughter had talked about the situation.

"If you still want to, Mrs. Snape can help us. Yesterday she brought us home via apparition. She can do something similar with you guys and our belongings. You won't have to worry about buying train tickets or how to move the furniture."

"What about your father? Do we just leave him behind?"

"Well ye-"

Tobias interrupted Lily. "No offense, Virginia, but I've seen what that man has done to you and your children. People don't wear long sleeve shirts and pants in the middle of the summer. I've seen the bruises on you and your children. You can't honestly tell me that man is good for you."

Virginia looked ashamed "No, bu-"

"No, Virginia. There's no reason you should stay with an abusive man when you have a way out. We're more than willing to help you. Lily is in a much better place now and the two of you should be too."

"You're right, I've been foolish" Virginia said burying her face in her hands.

"Now, now, Virginia. We know you love your children. You've been put in a tough situation." Eileen replied rubbing her back.

"How do we do this?" Virginia asked.

Eileen explained how it would work and what a port key was. Lily noticed that Petunia had stayed silent the entire time, pushing the food around her plate. She grabbed her sister's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. They'd figure it out.


	15. Chapter 15

The girls were not to say a word to their father. If this was to be successful they couldn't tell him where or when they were going or that they were going at all. When they got home Petunia thanked Lily through tears. She didn't care about leaving her friends or her home town. She knew this was a once in a lifetime chance. She had been afraid of what her life would be like when Lily left and those last three months had been hell.

Neither of the girls had truly met their grandparents before. They had only seen them as babies and didn't remember anything about them. Frank refused letting Virginia visit them, not like they could afford it anyway. He wouldn't allow them to visit either. Frank monitored the mail and they couldn't afford a phone. The family had been entirely unreachable unless you lived in town.

Unbeknownst to Frank, Virginia had been in contact with her parents for the last two years, thanks to the Snape family. She'd been able to use their phone and called her parents for the first time in years. She played down the abuse. It wouldn't do any good for them to worry. They would be furious with her when they learned the truth but the anger would come from love.

The plan was set for Christmas night. They would spend one last Christmas as a family before disappearing forever. It was Christmas eve. Virginia and her girls had spent the week slowly packing their few belongings. Elieen came over while Frank was out of the house and used a shrinking spell on the objects to make them easier to transport. The boxes were stored in a bag that Eileen had placed an extension charm on. They kept the bag with Lily's school possessions. It was unlikely for Frank to be rifiling through her stuff and that way they still had everything in case they needed it.

Christmas for the Evans was small. Petunia and Lily opened their presents. Petunia had gotten a nice notebook and some pens, she had recently taken up writing. Lily got a book about magical creatures, something she had eyed in Diagon Alley. It wasn't much but to them it was everything. They didn't bother having Christmas dinner. Frank would be leaving to meet his drinking buddies. The other 3 would join the Snape family for dinner.

Frank left for the pub at 4. He would stay there until the bartender kicked him out for being disorderly or getting in a fight. He would probably be too plastered to know anything was amiss when he returned home. Virginia watched her husband leave the house for the last time. Although she knew this was for the best it still hurt to leave the only man she'd ever loved even if he was no longer that man.

They'd be leaving most of the furniture, everything except what the girls owned. They'd only packed personal items like clothing and pictures. They couldn't leave Frank an empty house. He was a still a human being and the possessions were half his.

Virginia slipped off her cheap wedding ring and placed it on the dresser. She used a piece of paper from Petunia's notebook to write a short goodbye letter to Frank. He deserved an explanation.

_ Frank, _

_ Do you remember the night you proposed to me? You won the ring as a prize at one of the games when we went to the fair. As soon as the attendant handed you the ring you dropped down on one knee and told me how much you loved me. I know deep inside that man is still there. He's been buried by the anger and hurt over the last decade and now I don't know if he'll ever come out. We loved each other once but I can't keep letting you hurt us, especially our children. I'm taking them to a place you'll never find us. Maybe one day we can be a family again but for now we need to stay out of harms way. _

_ Goodbye, _

_ Your Virginia Bluebell _

Virginia neatly folded the note and slid it beneath the ring. She wouldn't need her ring anymore. It once held sweet memories but now it was burdened with pain and sadness. Virginia pulled the small amount of money she'd managed to save out of her sock drawer along with her remaining personal effects. She slipped those into the bag and headed for the door where her children were waiting. They took one last look at their beloved house, shabby as it may be, it was still home. Virginia wiped a tear from her eye that was threatening to run down her cheek.

"Ready for dinner, girls?" She asked as she closed and locked the door behind them. It was a short walk to the Snape house, one they had taken many times over the last two years. Virginia knocked on the door which was opened by a cheerful Tobias.

"Happy Christmas! Come inside, dinner is all ready and on the table."

The three girls went through the door and wished him a Happy Christmas. Lily smiled at Sev. She noticed he was wearing a new sweater, black of course, and promptly began to tease him about his color choices. She showed him the book she'd gotten for Christmas and he showed her some of his.

"And what about you, Petunia? How was your Christmas?" Severus asked

"Oh nothing special, yet anyway." She replied with a smile.

Petunia was excited to move to a new city and start a new school where no one knew her or her family. She was excited to see her grandparents who she had met once but couldn't remember. This was in fact a very special Christmas. She wasn't particularly sad about losing her father, for good reason. Her black eye still showed slightly even with it covered in make up. This was  _ her _ new start.

The six of them sat down for dinner. Eileen had prepared a typical Christmas meal for them with ham as the main course. The food was delicious and they had a jolly time talking to one another. The families had become good friends over the last couple years, particularly in the last few months. It would be hard to lose each other. When dinner was done and the kitchen cleaned it was time to leave.

Eileen grabbed a broom from inside her pantry.

"Each of you hold on and hold on TIGHT until I tell you to let go." Eileen said. The four of them griped the broom and Eileen taped it with her wand. They'd truly be traveling like witches. Tobias and Severus watched them spin in the air for a moment before disappearing. Seconds later Eileen was back. The Evans deserved their privacy. As much as the Snapes would have liked to see their reunion it was none of their business. Virginia had their phone number in case it didn't go well but the phone never rang.

Xxxx

Severus and Lily returned to Hogwarts a few days later. Eileen apparated with Severus to the train station where they met the three Evans girls, all of whom looked remarkably better. Virginia shown with a happiness Severus had never seen before. Eileen planned to stay and catch up with Virginia for a bit after their children had boarded the train.

Severus found an empty compartment to sit in, most of them were empty during the Christmas break. None of the Marauders (as they now called themselves) joined Severus and Lily this time. The two of them sat next to each other, holding hands. They'd been best friends for nearly 3 years now and the last few days had been the longest time they'd ever been apart.

"So, how did it go?" Severus asked nervously.

"Oh Sev, it was wonderful! They were thrilled to see us. The last time I saw my grandma was as a newborn. She cried when she saw the three of us on her porch and cried even harder when she learned why." Lily smiled the whole time she talked. She told Sev about her grandpa's workshop in the backyard which they turned into a small apartment for Petunia and Virginia and Lily when she was home of course.

"Do you know anything about my father?"

Severus hesitated. "He came by yesterday, he was furious. He pounded on the door looking for you three. He knows my Mum had something to do with it, doesn't take a genius to figure that out. But she's a witch, she could have taken you guys anywhere and he knows that too."

Lily's smile dimmed. This was her fault. It had been her idea to move away. She knew it was for the best but she was afraid she had made the situation worse if Frank ever did find them. He had to know they went to live with her grandparents. They couldn't afford to go anywhere else. Hopefully her Mum and Petunia would be able to leave before he found where they lived. The hardest part for him would be saving enough money for the trip, any extra money was blown on booze and it was more likely to happen now than ever.

They spent most of the trip in silence, a happy silence. Severus watched out the window and Lily fell asleep curled up in the seat next to him. She could rest easy now that her family was safe. She didn't have to worry anymore. At least, not now.


	16. Chapter 16

Before they knew it they were back at school. Everything returned at full force. Classes were just as hard and the homework was packed on. Severus enjoyed the Herbology and Potions classes the most while Lily preferred charms and potions. Years ago, Severus had begun writing in his Mum's old Potions book. Inside the cover he'd doodled a silly name, The Half Blood Prince. He blushed at the thought of it now but was still proud of the qualities the name stood for.

Over the years he had made adaptions to the Potions in the book, some with the help of his mum, some he created himself. About a third of the potions in the book had been changed. Ingredients had been added or subtracted from the recipe and suggestions added. In the margins of the potions that only needed a few changes he had also written some of his spells though there weren't many of those yet. Severus and Lily had potions on different days so they swapped the book back and forth. Even without using Severus' recipes. Lily had a knack for potions. She was the second best in their year so far, the first being Severus.

Severus and Lily both excelled in most subjects but each had their downfall. Severus couldn't preform charms nearly as well as she could. It took him far more tries to complete the task but once he had it down he was good. This wouldn't be a problem if he didn't create spells. It made the creation process longer. Lily didn't care for Astronomy. She couldn't navigate herself and had a hard time telling planets and especially stars apart from one another. She was confident the star chart assignment would be the death of her. They tutored each other and shared notes. Because of one another's help they both had exceptional grades and impressed their teachers.

The year went on uneventful. They would meet everyday under their tree to study and help each other. Lily continued being bullied by Desiree and Isabelle who now had a nickname. During Christmas break one of the teachers caught them having a threesome in an empty classroom with a Hufflepuff boy. The news spread quickly and before long someone coined the term "Slut Sisters". After that incident the bullying of Lily died down while other students slut shamed the two girls. She felt bad for them. It was no fun being the butt of every joke. Then again they had put her through enough hell and Lily couldn't help but feel a little happy they were getting the taste of their own medicine.

The Marauders were inseparable now. Unfortunately James and Sirius also enjoyed picking on the other students. They were both from famous families and grew up very privileged. They didn't have a problem letting everyone know that and taking out their anger on people who disagreed with them. They were fun, bubbly people to be around, if you were on their good side. Lily was thankful she and Severus had never been one of their victims. Remus suffered from chronic health issues and looked miserable half of every month. When he experienced particularly bad flares the other 3threeMarauders would help him through it and always seemed exhausted themselves. Peter was a very shy boy. He was the "runt of the litter" when it came to the four of them. He was a very kind person but also an unusual one. Lily and Severus weren't surprised to hear he'd never had many friends.

Severus hung out with his 3 roommates quite often. They all got along great but they didn't come up with a silly nickname for themselves like the Gryffindor boys. They were friends but they weren't each other's only friend. Lily liked some of her roommates. Charlotte was a very good friend to her and so were Jessica and Stephanie. Nora was pure blood and let everyone know it. She, like many Slytherins, hated muggle borns or "mudbloods" as they called them. Nora frequently used the slur and talked about how disgusting muggles were. Of course she didn't know that Lily was a "mudblood" no one did. Lily had hidden it well. Everyone believed her story when they heard it. Lily could only imagine how horrible the bullying would be if people knew the truth.

Xxxx

Winter came and went. Before they knew it, it was spring and they were studying for their exams. The rest of the year had passed by uneventfully. Neither of them were worried about their exams. They were good students and studied everyday. The majority of the school was in a panic. They tried to cram several months worth of information into several weeks. Among them were James and Sirius.

"Lily?"

"Hmm?" Lily asked before looking into the purposefully tousled head of James Potter.

"Would you um, mind helping me study for potions? I've seen you in Slughorn's class, you're the best one there."

"Why don't you ask Severus? He was the one who taught me."

"Snape and I don't exactly see eye to eye…" James Grimaced. "Besides, he's busy studying with his Ravenclaw buddies." Lily turned around to look at the other side of the library where Severus was indeed helping his friends.

"You know, I've heard David and Oliver needed help with their potions stuff as well. Why don't you join in on the study session?" Lily suggested

James sighed, clearly disappointed she wouldn't be his tutor. "Yeah, I guess I'll ask, thanks Lily."

Lily cupped her face, thinking intently on the homework in front of her. She was trying to remember the names of the last four of Jupiter's moons.  This is hopeless she thought why do I need to memorize all 16 of the moons anyway? It's not like I'll ever use this. Lily didn't believe in prophets or fortune telling. She didn't think being a Virgo affected your life anymore than being a Gemini did. She couldn't wait to be done with this class. Lily packed her bags and decided to go outside. Maybe the fresh air would jog her memory.

Outside, underneath the tree was Remus. "Hey, what are you doing here?" Lily asked him.

"I was looking for you actually. I wanted to talk about something."

"Do you need potions help too? 'Cause you should really ask sev-"

"Potions?" Remus asked confused. "No, I'm just having a rough time lately and I know how much Severus trusts you."

"What did you want to talk about?"

"You can't tell anyone, alright? Swear you'll keep this to yourself?"

"Ok, I swear." Lily promised although confused. She cast a quick muffliato to keep others from hearing Remus' secret.

"Well, you know how I'm sick a lot?"

"Yeah…how are you feeling by the way?" Lily asked. This was his first day back after 3 days.

"I'm fine, thank you. Anyway, have you noticed a pattern about it at all?

Lily frowned, thinking. "Well it seems to happen for a few days every month."

"Great, so people have noticed." Remus mumbled to himself. "I suffer from Lycanthropy."

"I-I'm sorry, Remus, I don't know what that is."

"I'm a werewolf, Lily." Her eyes widened in surprise. "Every month during the full moon I go through a transformation. You could say it's my time of the month." He gave her a crooked smile. Lily giggled a bit.

"You've never hurt anyone have you?"

"No, never. There have always been precautions in place to prevent it."

"Remus, why are you telling me this?"

"I don't know really. The only other ones who know are James, Sirius, and Peter. They've known for a while now. They try to make a game out of it, they think it sounds fun, other than the actual transformation. They've even joked about trying to become animaguses, you know, turning into animals. I'm afraid they're not actually joking. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Why don't you talk to Headmaster Dumbledore about it?"

Remus shook his head "He's already done so much to let me stay here, I don't want anything to make me leave."

"I'm sure he wouldn't expel you for this. He's actually been helping me with a secret as well…"

"I'm sorry Lily, I shouldn't have bothered you with this. I just needed someone to know. Someone who won't do something crazy about it. Please don't tell anyone, not even Severus.

"I promise Remus, cross my heart." Remus gave Lily a side hug before she continued. "Can I share my secret with you? You can't tell anyone either, not even the other 3 Marauders. James and Sirius already know but I doubt they remember."

"I won't, Lily, you can trust me."

Lily looked down at her hands "…I'm a mudblood."

"Don't call yourself that!"

"It's true, I have dirty blood. Both of my parents are muggles."

"Lily Evans, there is nothing wrong about coming from muggles. Whoever thinks differently is wrong."

"Remus, do you not remember what house I'm in?

Remus clapped a hand over his mouth. "No, it can't be. How did you get sorted into Slytherin?"

"I-I don't know. Dumbledore said there's nothing he could do about it. He told me to lie and tell others I was a half blood. Even being a half blood in Slytherin isn't that great."

"I'm so sorry Lily."

"Don't be, everyone gets bullied at some point in their life. This is mine. I actually really love Slytherin house. You're just jealous you aren't a snake." Lily gave him a playful shove.

"Nah, being a lion is much cooler, I'm king of the jungle!"

"Whatever, Remus, keep telling yourself that."

Remus smiled. "Thank you, Lily, you're a good friend."

"You're a good friend too, Remus."

"Now, what were you saying about helping me with potions?" Remus gave her a coy smile.

"Oh fine, just don't tell James.

"You sure like keeping secrets from James."

"No I don't. Now shut up and get your book out.

Lily and Remus pulled out their study material and got to work. Remus helped her remember the last four planets, Thebe, Metis, Elara, and Hermippe. He also helped her adjust her star chart and complete it. Lily felt much more confident about the grade she'd receive. Lily helped Remus with potions. He struggled mostly with theory. Why should it matter if you stir counter clockwise instead of clockwise? How does one extra stir affect it so much? She was able to answer his questions and help him understand more than Professor Slughorn ever would have been able to teach him, Remus wasn't famous after all. They finished just before dinner time and headed inside together for the rest of the night.


	17. Chapter 17

Severus and Lily held study sessions for some of their friends as it was nearing closer to exam time. It included their roommates, the four Marauders, and a few Hufflepuff kids. It was a pretty varied group and everyone was able to help one another. They all passed with flying colors and high hopes for the next year.

The great hall was decorated in colors that represented every house. Headmaster Dumbledore announced that Hufflepuff won both the quidditch and the house cup. The decorations changed to black and yellow stripes with a badger in the center. Hufflepuff wasn't surrounded in controversy and everyone seemed to enjoy that house. It's members were loyal and kind to everyone. The other students were disappointed their house hadn't won but Hufflepuff deserved it and they were happy for them. Such feelings wouldn't have existed if Slytherin or even Gryffindor won.

That night everyone finished packing their belongings. It was summer break and everyone would be headed home early the next morning. Lily hadn't seen her family since Christmas break. She had exchanged letters with them and learned they were much happier in their new home but she was excited to see it all for herself.

Early the next morning Lily dressed in jeans and green hoodie. It matched her eyes and stood for Slytherin, the house she had grown to love. Unfortunately her outfit choice was not a good one. Nora was the first to notice.

"Why are you wearing muggle clothes, Lily? I thought you were a half blood?"

Lily stuttered for an excuse. "I-I am. My family and I are going to explore muggle London when I get back."

"But you actually OWN muggle clothing. Why don't you just transform some of your wizarding robes?"

"Um, muggle clothing is much more comfortable. I'd rather just wear this."

Nora gave her a suspicious glare before leaving the room without another comment.

Lily's palms were sweaty from the encounter. She was worried what would happen to her if someone learned the truth. She hurriedly threw the rest of her belongings in her trunk and got out of Slytherin house as fast as she could before anyone else could question her. Lily cast a charm on her trunk to make it easier to carry. She went to the owlery to collect Archimedes. She wouldn't leave her beloved pet at the school alone for three months. She hoped her grandparents wouldn't mind an owl in the house. Lily threw some meat she'd saved from dinner the previous night into Archi's cage. He happily hopped in and gobbled it up before looking at her for more.

"Sorry, Arch, that's all I have. I've seen the food they feed you, you definitely aren't starving."

Lily wheeled her lightened trunk down the stairs behind her and clutched Archi's cage in the other hand. She waited by the tree for Severus. They had planned to meet here and head to the train together. While she waited she stuck her fingers into the bar of Archi's cage and let her beautiful barn owl nibble on her fingers.

Severus packed last night so he would be able to spend as much time as possible with Lily the next day. They no longer lived in the same town. There would be no more meetings by the river this summer. He didn't know if he'd be able to see her at all before school started up again. Lils was a part of his every day life, she had been for years. He wasn't ready for that to change. Severus felt his heart beat a little faster and his stomach flutter a little more every time she was near. They were twelve now and starting to notice the opposite sex. Severus wasn't just feeling changes in his heart and stomach whenever he saw Lily.

He woke up and dressed quickly. Everything was ready except for his cat, his cat which appeared to have gone missing. He looked under every bed and in every nook and cranny in the room. "Salem, where are you?" he called. "Now's not the time to take a bloody stroll. I promised Lily I would meet her."

Severus gave up looking in the room, it was obvious Salem wasn't there. He flicked his wand and the torn apart room put itself back together. Severus headed to the common room where he found Salem curled up in a chair by the fireplace. "I've been looking every where for you! Come on now, time to go." The cat gave a pathetic mew before stretching and jumping out of the chair to Severus. Severus picked him up and carried him all the way to the tree. From the doorway of the castle he saw Lily arrive at their tree. Good, I'm not too late. Lily had been paying attention to her owl and hadn't noticed him walk up. Severus grabbed her by the shoulders. "Boo!"

"Severus Tobias Snape! Don't do that!" she gave him a playful slap. "You scared the hell out of me!"

Severus gave her a sheepish and totally insincere smile "Sorry, I just can't help myself. I know how easy you are to scare."

"I'm going to get you back one day!"

"Sure you are, Lils. You haven't succeeded yet."

"I'll find a way to get you just you wait." She glared.

"Are you ready to live with your grandparents?"

"I guess, I don't know much about them. I was only there for a couple days before coming back to school. I write to Petunia a lot and she loves so it should be fine." Lily looked into her lap "I'll miss you though, Sev,"

"I'll miss you too, Lils."

They gave each other a hug before starting their walk to Hogsmeade station to catch their train. They specifically got there early to find an empty compartment. They placed their trunks on the rack above. Severus locked the compartment door before taking a seat next to Lily. This would be their last time together for three months. They didn't need the marauders butting in. James had a strange fascination with Lily. He tried to sit and talk with her whenever possible.

He was a nice enough person but Severus wanted Lily to himself today. He didn't care if that was selfish.

Shortly before 11 am the rest of the student body boarded their ride home. Charlotte walked past their compartment and waved. She new about Lily's feelings for Severus and she wasn't going to be the third wheel. Besides, she was sitting with the rest of the Slytherin girls. They got along enough but Lily just didn't fit with the rest of the group as easily.

The same thing happened with Severus' roommates. The other three of them would be sitting together for the ride home. Being twelve year old boys, they didn't know about Severus' feelings for Lily. They were just starting to notice girls themselves. Both groups of friends left Severus and Lily alone. Severus and Lily spent the trip talking about old times and eating sweets from the trolly.

At 8 o'clock the Hogwarts' Express pulled into Kings Cross Station. The platform was filled with families anxiously awaiting the arrival of their children. Severus and Lily had sat in the back of the train and were one of the last to get off. They watched James Potter and Sirius Black greet who they assumed to be James' parents. It was well known that Sirius didn't have a good home life since he opposed his family's views. Remus met up with his parents close by. Both of them were dressed in muggle apparel but that was common with half blood families. Usually the witch or wizard adopted the muggle style.

Peter Pettigrew was hesitant to leave the train. In the distance was a short and very fat man with a close resemblance to Peter. Peter came from a Pureblood family. His mother had died while giving birth to him. His father resented him for it and used every occasion possible to let him know. Severus and Lily couldn't hear through the glass but they could see the disgust on the face of Mr. Pettigrew. Lily made a mental note to reach out to Peter next year. She knew what he was going through. It would have been helpful for her as a child to have someone who understood. At least Lily got to escape it, it was unlikely that Peter ever would.

At long last their chance came to exit the train. Eileen and Tobias had both come to pick up their son along with Virginia, Petunia, and Virginia's parents, Patrick and Mary O'Connell. Lily gave her mother and sister a hug and stood hesitantly for a moment, unsure what to do with her grandparents. Patrick pulled Lily in for a hug and she gave in and returned it before giving her Grandma one as well. Patrick was a tall, balding man with a barrel chest. He had a friendly smile and his eyes twinkled behind his glasses. Mary was shorter than her husband and a little on the heavy side. She had short, white hair that had been meticulously curled. Her face was also bespectacled and she had a beautiful smile. She sat in a wheelchair that was pushed by her husband.

Severus greeted all of Lily's family. He was happy to see that she would be living with such kind people. He shook Mr. O'Connell's hand and kissed Mrs. O'Connell on the hand. He acted like a perfect gentleman in front of them. Lily tried to hide her smile, this was so unlike him. He could be quite crude and sarcastic when they were away from their families.

Lily and Severus gave each other one last embrace and goodbye before leaving for their own homes. Lily's new home was only a short drive away in the heart of London. Severus and Tobias apparated home with Eileen. There was no need for the VW bus when it was only the three of them. Severus clutched Salem under his arm while he held onto his mother with his other hand. Tobias held his wife's hand and held on Severus' Trunk. Severus felt a slight pull in his belly button and in an instant they were home.

"Severus, I need you to see something." Those were the first words out of Eileen's mouth. She cast a disillusionment charm on the both of them and they walked the short distance to Lily's old home. The windows had been boarded up and there was caution tape on what had been the front door.

"What happened?" Severus Gasped

"Frank got drunk and fell asleep with a lit cigar. It caught the house on fire. The firefighters were able to get him out alive, he only had some smoke inhalation. They kicked him out and condemned the house. He's been living on the street ever since."

"How long ago did this happen?" Severus asked appalled.

"Back in February. Ever since Virginia left him he's become even more of a wreck. He stumbles around town asking for money which he uses to buy more alcohol. I don't think he'll be coming back from it this time."

"Does Virginia know?"

"I told her that he lost the house but she doesn't know the whole story. I'm afraid she'd come back to him if she did. Part of her still loves the man. It was hard for her to leave him."

"Why didn't you tell me before now?"

"It doesn't make a difference Severus. We've tried to get him help but he refuses it. I didn't want Lily to find out."

"She wouldn't care, she hates the man"

Eileen sighed "I don't blame them."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"No, unfortunately not. We tried to get him into a rehab program but he has to be willing to do it and right now he's not. We're just keeping an eye on him for now."

"Shouldn't we tell his family the whole story?"

"The only family he has left, left him. Right now I don't think it's a good idea to tell his wife and kids whats going on. We see him around town all the time. If something changes I'll let them know." She shook her head in dismay. A person should never have to live like this. If only he would accept help. He could be a changed man.

"Lets go home, Severus."

Severus nodded his head and followed his mother home. When they reached their front door she undid the charm and walked in. Tobias was in the family room watching the telly, some silly talk show. He flipped the TV off when he heard them come in.

"Your mum showed you Frank did she?"

"Yeah, she did. I feel bad but it's his own fault. I guess for now we'll just have to watch him waste his life."

Tobias nodded his head in agreement. "Enough about him, we haven't seen you since Christmas. How was school?"

"Oh it was amazing. I learned so much. Lily is great at charms, she's great at everything really…" Severus blushed when he said it. "I can't wait to go back but it'll be nice not to worry about homework for a couple months. I'm sure going to miss her though."

"Your Mother and I actually wanted to talk about that son. Next month we're going to Greece. We've invited Petunia and Lily to come with us. Virginia turned down the invitation, she's going to continue looking for a job and she wants to spend time with her parents after all these years."

"It'll be a fairly cheap trip for the five of us, I do have some tricks up my sleeve." Eileen winked. "It's too hard and too far to apparate there or use a port key, especially with five of us. We've booked flights instead."

Severus was excited for the trip but even more excited to see Lily. Part of him wanted to be selfish, he didn't want Petunia tagging along but the other part of him was excited she was coming too. They had never been on a trip before, let alone an airplane. Those expenses were obviously not a priority when they were growing up.

Severus had taken quite a few trips as a kid but it was easier for them. A few confundus charms and the trip was practically free. Magic was certainly a wonderful thing.

Severus went to bed that night very exhausted. He fell asleep the second his head hit the pillow. He dreamt of his beautiful Lily and the adventures they would go on together in the future. He couldn't imagine himself ever being apart from her.


	18. Chapter 18

The house that was owned by Lily's grandparents had a mother in law's apartment in the backyard. It was a small cottage but big enough for the two, occasionally three of them. There was a small living room and kitchen in the front and a short hallway that led to a bathroom and a bedroom. The bedroom had been magically expanded by Eileen and separated into two rooms, one for Virginia, and one for the girls. It was a cozy building with enough room for them and their few belongings. It gave them privacy from Mr. And Mrs. O'Connell.

They were both very kind people as Petunia had said. Mary was a crafty woman, able to create anything she desired whether it be clothes, blankets, or other fabric items. Patrick was a writer and a great one at that, something he'd passed down to his granddaughter, Petunia. Lily instantly felt at home with them. This was a life they'd never been able to live before. Plenty of food, beds to sleep in, electricity, heat, the basic necessities a human should have, they finally had. Part of Lily wondered how her father was, the other part didn't care.

Lily was exhausted from her train ride home. She climbed into bed shortly after arriving at their new home. Her and petunia were to share a bed. There was no point in owning a second bed to only be used a few months out of the year. The girls had been very close most of their life, they didn't want to argue amongst themselves when they were already dealing with their father. Sharing a bed became a regular thing for them on bad nights in the past so they didn't mind it now. Petunia wished her family goodnight before climbing into bed with Lily.

"How was your first year?" Petunia asked

"it was good, I really love it there. How do you like your new school?"

"I love it too, I don't have to put up with the ugly comments about our family like I did before." Petunia smiled before continuing. "I met a boy actually."

"Oh tell me more!" Lily exclaimed with a toothy grin on her face.

"His name is Mark. We go to school together."

"Mark huh? What else?"

"Well…" Petunia Hesitated "He was my first kiss"

"Tuney! When did this happen?"

"Last week. He took me out to get ice cream and we walked around some shops in London."

"And?"

"And he kissed me while he was walking me back home."

"Tuney has a boyfriend, Tuney has a boyfriend…"

"Shut up! I don't need mum finding out"

"Fine then you party pooper."

"What about you and Severus?"

"What about us, Tuney?"

"Oh come on, I've seen the way you guys look at each other."

Lily blushed. "It's nothing like that. We're just friends."

"But you've started to notice him haven't you?"

"I guess but I'm not interested in being anything other than friends right now."

"Sure you are." Petunia winked.

"Keep dreaming, Tuney, I'm going to bed, it's been a long day."

"Oh sure, now that we're talking about your love life you go to bed."

"I don't have a 'love life', I'm twelve. Goodnight Tune." Lily turned on her side facing away from Petunia and pulled the covers up to her chin.

"Goodnight Lily."

XXxX

June came and went and before they knew it it was July 2nd. Virginia knocked on the door to the girl's shared room. "Come on girls, I have a surprise for you." Virginia shouted through the doors.

"Ughhh, just five more minutes mum" Lily sighed. She was loving being able to sleep in and not worry about school.

"Up, come on."

"Fine, we're coming, we're coming." Petunia called.

Lily and Petunia sauntered out of their bedroom. Virginia ushered them out of their little cottage and into the main house. Mary had prepared breakfast for them, something they didn't usually do. Most mornings the three of them just had cereal in their own little house.

"What's going on?" Lily asked as she sat at the table.

"We need to go shopping today." Virginia replied

"Okay…why did we need to get up early for that? And what's with breakfast?"

"Well we thought we'd have a family breakfast before we go shop for the things you two will need to take to Greece."

"Greece? What are you talking about? We aren't going to Greece." Petunia said.

"Ah, but you are. The Snapes will be here tomorrow morning to pick you girls up."

"Severus is coming?!" Lily exclaimed. Petunia tried to hide a giggle. Her sister was smitten with him whether she wanted to admit it or not.

"Yes. You and Petunia are going with them to Greece tomorrow for two weeks."

"You're not coming? Petunia asked, disappointed.

"No. I'm going to keep looking for work and catch up with my family. You two will have so much fun you won't even realize I'm not there."

Petunia looked crestfallen. She had grown to love the Snape family but she felt like an outsider with them. She was afraid she was going to be the third wheel with Severus around. Petunia would have loved if their mother could have come. This would be the chance in a lifetime and she was missing out.

Everyone hurriedly ate breakfast and helped clean up the kitchen before getting ready for the day. They dressed quickly in their muggle clothing and anxiously waited for their mother to finish. The three of them piled into the car owned by Lily and Petunia's grandparents. They had a lot to buy for their trip. They needed new clothes, vacation or not. They needed swimsuits, shoes, haircuts, and even luggage. What was the point of owning luggage if you didn't use it? They'd never had a need for it before.

They started at the convenience store grabbing small items like sunscreen and shampoo. They were able to buy cheap suitcases at a store nearby and saved the clothes for last. Petunia chose a hot pink bikini. She liked the way it looked with her long blonde curls. Virginia told Lily she was too young for a bikini and made her get a one piece swimsuit instead. Lily found a green swimsuit with white flowers. Lily picked green items whenever she could. It had always been her favorite color, she felt that she looked best in it with her green eyes. Now of course there was another reason behind all the green. On their way to the next store Lily ran into some familiar faces, James and Sirius. James' family lived in London as well and Sirius was staying with them this summer. James recognized her first.

"Hey Lil! What are you doing here?" James asked. Lily turned around surprised.

"Oh, hey James, hey Sirius!" She replied with a smile. "We're shopping for our trip to Greece tomorrow."

"Greece, nice. I love it there. Where are you going?"

"I don't know actually, we didn't know about it until this morning. It was a surprise."

"We?" Sirius asked.

"Tuney come here for a moment." Lily called across the store. "This is my sister, Petunia." Petunia gave a small smile and waved. Sirius and James introduced themselves as friends of Lily's from school. They chatted for a few minutes before being called away by Virginia.

"Well, it was nice to see you guys but we need to get going. We have a lot to do today."

"Right, of course, see ya at Hogwarts." James said

"Bye." Added Sirius.

"Bye, nice to meet you." Said Petunia before they joining their mother at the register.

They returned home near dinner time with their new items. This shopping trip had been needed for a long time. Virginia was even able to find a few items for herself. Lily and Petunia both wondered where she had gotten the money for all of this. Surely it wasn't cheap. They were taught as children to never ask others about money and so they never brought up their question with their mother, only each other.

For dinner they had pot roast. It was a nice dinner. Lily had gotten to know her grandparents really well over the past month and had a special connection with her grandfather. Her grandparents had been so happy when they came back into their lives. They were determined to never lose them again. Virginia felt the same way.

It had been a long day for all of them. After dinner they packed and headed to bed early and fell asleep quickly. Morning came in no time. Lily was up before anyone else. She showered and dressed in a simple dress. She let her red curls fall down her back. Her hair wasn't such a mess now that she could take actual showers and she had learned to care for it better with some help from her friends at Hogwarts. Lily was elated to see Severus and it showed in just about everything she did. The way she walked and talked, there was a hint of a smile behind everything she did that day. She hadn't been expecting to see Severus until September when they headed back to Hogwarts. This had been a very happy surprise. She was thankful her mum had kept it a secret, the weeks until the trip would have dragged by otherwise.

Petunia and Lily were both awake and ready long before Severus and his family got there. It was only an hour wait but to them it felt like days. They were watching TV inside their grandparent's house when there was a knock at the door. Lily ran to open it and embraced Severus before he even had a chance to react. She'd missed her friend so much.

Petunia and Lily kissed their mother goodbye and the five of them, Tobias, Eileen, Severus, Lily, and Petunia, piled into the red VW bus with their luggage and drove to Heathrow Airport. Petunia was pleasantly surprised to be included in the conversations between the other two. Severus was genuinely interested in her life and how she was doing. She had planned on being ignored during the short drive to the airport. Her sister and her friend had grown up more than she realized in the last three years.

Tobias found a close parking spot and everyone filed out of the car with their luggage. The sisters had never been inside an airport before. They were ushered through security and were on their plane within the hour. It was a three and a half hour flight to Athens from London. Lily enjoyed the flight and looking out the window. Severus sat in-between the two sisters and Petunia clutched her barf bag nearly the whole time. She couldn't wait to get off. Before they knew it (well, everyone but Petunia), they had arrived in the beautiful city of Athens, Greece.

They collected their baggage and took a shuttle to their nearby hotel. It was nearing one in the afternoon so they deposited their stuff and headed out for lunch. They found a local Greek restaurant where they feasted on lamb gyros and fava beans. When they had all eaten their fill the family headed to Voula, a beach in the southern part of Athens. Eileen and Tobias lounged in the sun while the three teenagers played in the surf. Around sunset they packed up and headed back to their hotel. Tobias and Eileen shared a bed (of course) and so did Petunia and Lily. Severus slept on the pull out couch.

Their vacation was filled with beach trips and sight seeing. Tobias was a history buff and surprisingly so was Petunia. The two of them loved exploring what was left of Ancient Greece. Severus and Lily preferred to swim in the beautiful crystal clear water. Overall it was a successful trip and reunion between friends. They arrived home two weeks after departure with sun kissed skin and freckles. They had had a wonderful time together. Lily and Petunia thanked the Snapes over and over for allowing them to come on the trip. With regret Lily said goodbye to her dear friend. Only a month and a half to go and they would be together again.

The next day Virginia received a phone call from Eileen. Eileen was frantic. "Virginia, something's happened. I need you to come to Cokeworth. I'll be there in a moment to get you."


	19. Chapter 19

Virginia heard the unmistakable pop of an apparition before she could even hang up the phone. It was very early in the morning. No one else was awake yet, Virginia had been awoken by the ringing telephone. She quickly jotted a note for her daughters in case they woke up before she was back. Virginia stepped outside to great a clearly distressed Eileen.

"Eileen, what's the matter?"

"Come with me, I'll show you."

Eileen grabbed her arm and a moment later they were back in Cokeworth. Virginia had expected to arrive in front of Eileen's house. Instead she was surprised by the yellow crime scene tape and police combing the area. In front of them was a lump under what used to be a white sheet. The sheet was mostly red now from blood. Virginia clapped her hand to her mouth when she realized what was going on. They were standing in front of "The Sit and Sip", Frank's favorite watering hole. Virginia sunk to the ground sobbing. The lump under the bloody sheet was her Husband.

"What happened?" she asked between sobs.

"Virginia, Frank was stabbed."

"I don't understand. How could someone kill him?"

"He tried to pick pocket someone and wound up on the wrong end of the knife. Virginia, I'm so sorry." Eileen cradled the crying woman. "Do you want to see him?" She asked hesitantly. Virginia nodded.

Eileen stood up and approached an officer standing by. When she explained what was going on and that Virginia was his wife the officer let them approach the body. An officer drew back the sheet and they were allowed to see Frank's face. Virginia cried out hysterically. This was the man she had loved. She hoped one day he would change and they could be a family again but that clearly wasn't possible now. Frank's face was covered in dirt and scraggly stubble. It was obvious he hadn't bathed in weeks, likely months. He had lost a lot of weight since she saw him last. Nearly every bone in his body was visible. Eileen had told her that he had lost the house but Virginia wasn't aware of how bad he was actually doing. She continued to sob harder and harder. She reached out to touch his face and was dragged back by an officer. This was a crime scene. Eileen helped the officer escort Virginia back behind the yellow tape. They practically had to carry her. After the officer left, Virginia rounded on Eileen.

"How could you let this happen?! You lied to me!"

"We tried to help, w-" Virginia cut Eileen off.

"You never said he was homeless, you never said he was starving, you kept it all a secret!"

"I tried to get him into rehab but he refused. I was afraid if you were aware of the situation you would come back to him"

"How dare you make that decision for m!." Virginia was fuming and Eileen was hurt.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong to think I knew best, I was just trying to help."

"You trying to help cost him his life." Virginia stormed away before Eileen could say anything more. She'd find a different way home.

Six days later was Frank's Funeral. Virginia had found a job as a clerk at a local shop a couple weeks previous. She saved up enough money for Frank to have a proper funeral. She'd found a respectable casket and chose to bury him in London where she would be near him. They had no other ties to Cokeworth and Frank's parents had died many years ago. It was a respectable yet empty service. Virginia, her daughters, her parents, and the Snape family were there along with the priest orchestrating the funeral. Frank had had a few friends from the pub but they were just like him, too alcoholic to buy anything more than vodka and beer. They couldn't afford to travel nearly two hours away for a funeral. That was fine by Virginia. She was just happy that she could afford a proper casket and burial site for her deceased husband. Virginia hadn't spoke to Eileen since the day of Frank's murder. She still felt that Eileen was partly responsible for the death of her husband. Virginia wasn't ready to forgive her yet but she had still allowed the family to come.

Lily wore a simple Black dress and black flats. She let her red curls fall down her back. Lily stared into her hands as the priest spoke about her father, as if he really knew him. She didn't particularly care for her father but she did care about her mum. Virginia had become a shell of a person. The mum that Lily and Petunia knew was now buried deep within Virginia. She barely spoke, barely ate, barely even existed. Lily leaned her head onto Severus' shoulder and let a tear fall down her cheek. While Virginia blamed Eileen, Lily couldn't help but blame herself. She was the one who forced her mother to leave. Frank lost everything because of Lily, even his life.

Severus sat next to Lily in a black tux. He'd pulled his shoulder length black hair into a ponytail. It was an unusual style for him but he felt that it was more respectful. Severus held Lily's hand during the entire service. He watched as tears rolled down her cheeks into her lap. He couldn't think of the right thing to say to comfort her and chose to stay silent instead. Severus didn't understand that Lily's tears came more out of guilt than anything else. He too had noticed how Virginia had changed. He only hoped that she could come out of it. Lily and Petunia already lost one parent, they couldn't lose another.

Eileen had been truly hurt by the comments Virginia had thrown at her. She had really tried her best to help Frank but she could only do so much. She couldn't force him to change and honestly it wasn't her responsibility. She didn't stay in Cokeworth to babysit her friend's husband. Eileen was angry and hurt but she kept her thoughts to herself. This wasn't the time or the place.

Frank was lowered into the ground after a 21 gun salute. He had been a veteran and he'd received a veterans funeral. Virginia stayed behind long after the service had ended. She stared at the fresh pile of dirt that was covering the body of her husband. There was no reason he had to die. Lily and Petunia had to literally pull their mother from his grave. Eileen had attempted to offer her condolences after the funeral but was met with a cold shoulder. She knew she wasn't wanted and disapparated with her family. She would give Virginia space for now, space for both of them to heal.

It was September first. The second year for Severus and Lily had arrived. Severus arrived at the station before Lily did. He was saying goodbye to his parents when Lily walked into the wall that brought her to platform 9 ¾. Instantly he noticed that she was alone. No one had come with her to the station. No one had come to see her off. Lily looked distraught. Severus finished saying his goodbyes and hurried over to Lily. He greeted her with a hug that she didn't immediately return. The greeting was tense. It had been a month and a half since the funeral. The situation had changed her.

"Lily, are you okay?"

"Of course I'm not okay! Life isn't just sunshine and rainbows, Severus."

Severus bit his lip. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Lily shook her head and headed for the train. Instead of finding an empty compartment like usual she headed for the compartment that was full of Slytherin girls.

"Lily? Where are you going?"

"I'm sitting with my friends, I'll see you at school." She opened the door to her compartment and stepped inside leaving a very confused Severus behind. With no other options available to him, Severus rode with his Ravenclaw roommates. He spent the trip looking out the window and thinking. He didn't understand what he could have done wrong. He ignored the conversations of the other boys and kept to himself. The sky started to get dark, the sign they were almost there. He left the compartment to change into his Ravenclaw robes. The train stopped at Hogsmeade station and the students filed out of the train. Severus could see the large man named Hagrid calling over the first years like he had on Severus' first day of school, like Hagrid did every year of school. Since it was now Severus' second year, he would be arriving at the school differently.

Severus waited for Lily to exit the train before following the other students. They didn't say anything to one another but Severus was pleased she would at least walk with him. They arrived at the line of carriages and sat inside the same one along with two 3rd years that they didn't really know.

"Can you tell me what's going on?" Severus asked quietly.

Lily shook her head. "Not here, I'll talk to you tomorrow after class"

Severus simply nodded. There was no use talking to her here with the other two boys in the carriage. They arrived at the Castle doors and hopped out to file inside the building. They took their seats, Lily at Slytherin table and Severus at Ravenclaw table. Severus stared at the empty plate in front of him. He was a growing teenage boy and he ate like one. He couldn't wait for the sorting ceremony to be over so that he could dig in. He paid little attention to the first years who filed into the room a few minutes later. He was too busy thinking about Lily and food to listen to the sorting. He only caught a few of the names. There were sixty three new students this year. Among them was Sophie, Slytherin, Athena, Slytherin, Victoria, Slytherin, Heidi, Gryffindor, Nicole, Ravenclaw, Felicia, Gryffindor, Guillermo, Gryffindor, Karrie, Slytherin, Elizabeth, Hufflepuff, Kathryn, Hufflepuff, DJ, Hufflepuff, Rowsi, Ravenclaw, Ashley, Ravenclaw, and Gro, Ravenclaw.

Headmaster Dumbledore introduced their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Jagi Lamplighter. Another teacher that was doomed to only last a year. Dumbledore warned the newcomers about the Forbidden Forest and told them the general rules of the school. Finally it was time to eat. Dumbledore waved his hand and the food appeared on the tables. Severus greedily stuffed his face while Lily picked at her food on the other side of the room. Before he knew it they were dismissed for bed. Severus followed the pack of Ravenclaw students up to Ravenclaw tower. When he arrived in his room he wasn't surprised to see his stuff there. The same thing had been done last year. He hurriedly undressed and went to bed ready for the new year to begin.


	20. Chapter 20

Severus woke early the next day and headed to breakfast. On the way to the great hall he bumped into Lily and they agreed to meet under their tree after they finished eating. Severus was anxious about what she had to say and didn't have much of an appetite. He grabbed a few light things and wolfed them down. On his way out he glanced at Lily and saw that she didn't have much of an appetite either. They made eye contact and she excused herself from the table and her mostly untouched plate. Severus waited for her in the doorway of the great hall. Together they walked to their tree wordlessly and awkwardly. They hadn't had a rift come between before and neither of them knew how to handle it. Severus was the first to bring up the topic.

"How come you were avoiding me yesterday?" blurt Severus.

Lily hesitated "my mum told me what happened. She blames your mum for my father's death…and I kind of agree…"

"What does my mum have to do with any of this?"

"She kept the situation a secret, and so did you."

It was easy to make Severus angry, but usually it was a cold, cutting anger. Now however he was just furious. "What did you want me to do? I didn't think you even cared about him!"

"You could have at least told me he was living on the streets!"

"Your mum was aware. Are you angry at her for not telling you?"

At this Lily was silent.

"Would hearing it from me have made any difference at all?"

Lily was quiet for a minute before answering "…No." she murmured

"Then why are you taking it out on me?"

Once again, Lily didn't answer and Severus stormed away.

This year they shared DADA class and Potions class together. Severus was stoic with his typical cold fury. He avoided Lily's glances from across their classrooms and she was hurt. He kept to himself during their classes. Not speaking a word to anyone. For most people it didn't seem out of the ordinary for Severus. Only Lily could see his anger. He was the first to leave after class and he avoided her for the rest of the day. He didn't go out to their tree. He wasn't in the library or with his roommates. Lily looked everywhere but he was nowhere to be found. She assumed he must be in his dorm and gave up. Lily didn't see him for the rest of the night and went to bed with a heavy heart. The next morning she caught him on his way to the great hall.

"Stop avoiding me and let me explain." She said as she grabbed his arm and led him outside. Severus stayed silent, waiting to see what she had to say.

"Look, I'm sorry. I was wrong to blame you or your mum." Severus crossed his arms and Lily continued. "It just hurt that you kept the situation a secret from me. We talk about everything but when something major happened you stayed silent. You're right, I don't care about him and I'm not particularly sad that he died. He was a crappy human being but he was still my family. My mum took his death really hard. She seems like a completely different person without him but it wasn't your job to tell me, it was hers. You're right and I'm sorry." Lily looked at the ground unsure of what to expect. Severus stayed quiet for a moment and Lily was afraid he was going to leave again. A moment later she felt him wrap his arms around her. "I'm sorry too Lils." He felt Lily relax in his arms.

"Are we okay?" She asked

"We're okay." Severus replied.

Time passed by quickly. They no longer hung out just the two of them all the time. They continued their study session this year with the same group as before. Severus noticed that Lily seemed to be growing closer to her other roommates, even Nora, which surprised him. They both knew her feelings about muggles. Lily was still one of the few "half bloods" in Slytherin house. As she grew closer to her friends they protected her more. With this extra protection it was hard for the other kids to bully Lily. She was thankful to have met such great people. They stopped spewing the muggle nonsense they'd talked about before. When her roommates learned that Lily's muggle father had been murdered they became more careful about what they said around Lily which she appreciated seeing as her mother was a muggle too, the other girls just didn't know it.

Severus stayed at Hogwarts over Christmas Break. His parents wanted a weekend away together and he was fine having more time to read and work on spells. Lily wanted him to teach her how to do it and he needed to figure out how to teach her. Lily went home for Christmas Break. She mostly wanted to check on her Mother who had still been so broken hearted when Lily left in September. After spending most of summer break apart, another two weeks was doable.

The day after students returned home for the break Severus went to the library. He found as many books as he could on creating spells which to be honest wasn't many. He brought a few language books with him to a table as well. Most spells were in Latin after all. He'd gotten there early that morning and had spent a few hours tucked away in a back corner reading. Around lunch time he heard some familiar voices enter the library. Nora, Jessica, and Lynne had come in and were talking in hushed voices. Severus strained his ears to try and listen to their conversation.

"…just goes to show you can't trust muggles." Nora said.

"But her father was a muggle and he was murdered?" replied Lynne.

"He was an abusive father from what I've heard besides, he was murdered by another muggle after a fight." Nora shook her head. "It's their dirty blood I tell you."

Severus stormed past them, making his presence known. He didn't react to their conversation, he'd leave them in suspense about whether he'd heard them or not. Everyone knew Severus and Lily were close friends. He'd find another way to get them back, a way that wouldn't immediately put him under suspicion. If he acted now he'd just get himself in trouble. The three girls were silent when they noticed him coming. Severus went to the front desk and checked out some of his books. While he was waiting he heard Jessica speak up "Do you think he heard us?" she whispered nervously to the other girls.

Severus hung as close to them as he could from then on without drawing attention to himself. He didn't hear any more conversations from them about Lily or muggles for that matter either. Went Lily returned from Christmas break he kept it to himself. An act he knew would piss off Lily if she ever found out. Severus had secretly been working on a potion to induce boils that he planned to slip to them somehow. He didn't want Lily to know about the plan. She'd be furious about that too and try to stop him. Severus also didn't want Lily coming under suspicion for his own transgression. Maybe in the future she would know but not yet.

Severus implemented his plan the next week. Their study group usually snuck food into their sessions so it wouldn't seem weird for Severus to bring stuff. The day before their study date Severus took some desserts back to his room from dinner. He returned to the dorm early, before anyone else and impregnated some of the food with his potion. He separated the normal food from the tainted food. Although there were 3 culprits he wanted to punish, he put the boil inducing potion in 5 of the donuts. He did this in order to help throw off suspicion. He had also created the potion so that the boils would appear hours later, not immediately. Severus was confident his plan would work and he would remain innocent in their eyes.

The next day the group met in their usual empty classroom. They were focusing on charms today. Several other students had brought snacks as well.  _ Perfect  _ Severus thought. He carefully passed out his donuts to ensure the intended people would get them. Along with Nora, Jessica, and Lynne, he also gave a boil donut to David, fellow Ravenclaw, and the other to one of the Hufflepuff boys. Severus was sorry that they had to be involved. Luckily the boils were easy to cure, they were more of an embarrassment than anything else. They worked together for about an hour before heading out to get ready for dinner. Boils started appearing during dinner time. Severus had been about to take a bite from his bread when he noticed a red splotch forming on David's face.

"Dave, you've got something on your face." Severus pointed out. Dave wiped his lips assuming it was just food.

"Severus is right." Oliver said "There are some red bumps growing on your face. I don't remember seeing them before dinner?"

"There are some on your arms now too." Said Severus.

David looked down at his arms before excusing himself and rushing to the bathroom. Shortly after David left Severus watched as the other four victims left. He smirked to himself and finished his meal. Severus slept well that night feeling that justice had been served.


	21. Chapter 21

The second year for Severus and Lily quickly came to an end. Severus had never been suspected of the boil prank which was good news to him. Even Lily wasn't aware it was him. The year had been largely uneventful although the presence of The Knights of Walpurgis was becoming increasingly prominent in the school, most especially in Slytherin house. Many of the students had come from families who believed in blood purity. Many of those same parents took their beliefs to the extreme by joining Lord Voldemort's cause. The other three houses remained none the wiser about the evil that was brewing in their country. Many of them didn't have connections to Slytherin house as they were the outcasts of the school. Severus was one of the few who did. Lily would relate the news to Severus. They were both becoming increasingly worried. The 6th and 7th years of Slytherin house had already become a Knight or were planning to after their schooling.

During the summer between their first and second year people began to go missing. The disappearances were attributed to muggles within the wizarding community. The Knights of Walpurgis were still very unknown, a great advantage to them. People of all birthrights, muggle and magical, were disappearing daily with many of them showing up dead. The fear made Virginia confident that her child would be safe at Hogwarts, unaware of what was really happening.

It wasn't just the muggle community convicting each other, the wizarding community blamed them too. Voldemort was intelligent and deceptive. Few of his followers even knew his plans. The fewer in on it, the better. This caused mass panic and hysteria. All arrows pointed to muggles and only a select few knew that the imperious curse was to blame.

Lily was terrified to return to school. She was the only witch in her family and she was afraid her family wouldn't be able to protect themselves. She had already lost one family member to a savage muggle, this wasn't the time to lose more. She wouldn't be there to protect them. Third year started and the recruitments for Knights began. They had to put an end to the murders in their country. These people were killing those who were different because they wanted magical power. Muggleborns were stealing their powers from true witches and wizards. Lord Voldemort was the only one who could put a stop to it all but he needed members to join his cause. Many of the Slytherin students pledged that they would once they were of age. One witch in particular felt strongly about it all, Lily.

Human beings were the most brutal species on the planet. The only one to kill one another for sport and boast about it. Some of the most vile even found it fun. Growing up, Lily had only ever heard and read bad things from the news. Serial killers, serial rapists, people taking advantage of one another. There was never anything good. Her young mind was molded to despise other human beings. Maybe it happened through fear, maybe it was brainwashing, but she too respected this so called "Lord" and what he could do to save them. Dumbledore had done nothing. He insisted that wizards were behind at all, that this "Voldemort" wasn't who he said he was. Dumbledore was fighting for the wrong side, inhibiting the murder of their brethren. He was a fool and a coward.

Severus held different beliefs from his red haired friend. Why would muggles suddenly rise up and kill or kidnap one another in large numbers? Why would seemingly good people turn on those they loved most? And most importantly, how come they never remembered it? He tried to get Lily to see the truth, that not all muggles were bad people and not all wizards were good. They had many fights about which side was truly the light and which side was the dark. They each held good arguments for why their side was the true side. The conversations became more muddled and confusing the longer they talked for neither side made sense. Severus strove to fight for the light while Lily slowly headed into the dark.

They were in the middle of their third year. Severus had been teaching Lily how to create spells for the past six months. She had grasped the concept quickly. She was a quick learner and it came easy to her. The bullying she received had died down as Lord Voldemort rose to power. People were too afraid to question one another. She had all but denounced the muggle side of her and her bullies took notice too. Now instead of the bullying coming from inside Slytherin house, it came from the other houses. She wasn't the only one subjected to it. All her years of pent up rage and frustration took the form of a new spell, Levicorpus.

Severus had found the spell funny at first, it hoisted the victim into the air and dangled them upside down. It would be a good prank to use on the crazy Slytherins. He didn't agree with Lily's intended use, to use it on the other houses. It was again another issue they fought over. Severus didn't think It was right to use the spell on innocent people. Slytherins were the ones who deserved it, they were constantly causing others harm. Lily felt the exact opposite, Slytherin house was usually the victim, it would be a great spell to use on the perpetrators, members of the other three houses, particularly Gryffindor. Neither of them stopped to think that they could both be right. There's not always a light and a dark side, most of us live in the grey.

It happened in February, 1974, shortly after they'd both turned 14. They were heading to Hogsmeade on a Saturday outing. There was a light drifting of snow which added to the large piles already covering the ground. There hadn't been any disappearances in months and the general population felt relieved. They all indulged in the happiness. Severus and Lily walked to the Shrieking shack where they found themselves alone. They fell silent and it quickly became awkward. Severus turned to face Lily and brushed a strand of her deep red hair away from her face. Lily bit her lip and looked up at him. They both knew where this was leading. The taller Severus leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers. The moment seemed to last forever but was over way to soon for both of them. They pulled apart and she kissed him again. Their five years of friendship had led up to this moment and they were here at last. They stayed near the shack for a long while. Exchanging kisses and glances before it was too cold to stay there any longer. They walked back through Hogsmeade and through the gates to the school holding hands, something they'd done for a long time except this time it was different. It meant more now and they'd never be able to go back to how it was. They continued to walk in a silent happiness, each trying to keep a smile at bay. They walked hand in hand to the great doors of the castle. Severus glanced around to see if anyone was watching before giving Lily a final peck and they headed their separate ways to prepare for dinner.

That night Lily gushed to her girlfriends about what had happened. They were at rapt attention to listen to her story. Everyone had known that Severus and Lily liked each other, everyone except Severus and Lily. It was about time they finally realized it. People don't think that young teenagers can fall in love. What they don't realize is that the person you're meant to be with doesn't come into your life at a set age. For a select few people that one person comes early and stays for the rest of their life. Love happens at all ages and at the age of 14 it happened to them.

That fateful February day was the beginning of a new kind of relationship between them. They stayed out later and got up earlier to be with each other. They used any excuse they could to be near one another. Moments alone were filled with passion and tender kisses. They stopped fighting as much, stopped talking about much of anything as their mouths were usually full of one another's tongue. June came much too soon and it was time to head home where they would be separated for another three months.


	22. Chapter 22

While in London that summer Lily avoided every muggle she could, believing that the rumors were true. Even in her own home she kept to herself as much as possible because she was too afraid of what might happen. Her mum had been working for quite a while now and saved up a generous amount of money. Lily borrowed some and took a trip to Diagon Alley which was only a few minutes from her house. She wandered through the few book stores in the alley looking for anything related to dark magic. She wanted to learn as much as she could to protect herself. In the end she bought two books, Confronting the Faceless and Magick Moste Evile. The clerk at the used book store eyed her suspiciously, a young girl wearing Slytherin colors who was buying two of the darkest books available. He almost said something but it wasn't exactly out of the ordinary these days for people to be purchasing such things. He only hoped she wasn't using these to do evil.

Lily spent the better part of the summer pouring over her new books and marking them in highlighter, something that would surely horrify most wizards. She found it ironic really, using a muggle artifact to help protect her from muggles. When she wasn't reading she was busy using Archimedes to send Severus letters. Her poor owl had to be exhausted. He'd been flying the long distance repeatedly over the summer. She decided to spare him a few days to rest and be spoiled. Severus would understand. The only muggle Lily truly trusted anymore was her sister. They still shared everything with each other. Petunia was 16 now. During the year while Lily was gone, Petunia had broken up with Mark and very recently met a new boy she was smitten with, Vernon Dursley. Vernon visited their home a few times that summer. Lily found him to be an utterly disgusting human being. He was rude to everyone, even his own girlfriend. He never had anything nice to say and spent the majority of his life complaining. Lily couldn't understand what Petunia saw in him. Petunia had the same thing to say about Lily's boyfriend. Severus was quite rude himself. Lily had heard him speak some pretty hateful things and he sure loved to complain but it was different. Severus didn't say those things to people's faces, most of the time. As much as Lily loved him she had to admit that Petunia was right. Lily couldn't say much about Vernon when she was dating someone who could be quite similar. In her heart she knew there was more to Severus than that and she hoped Tuney could say the same thing about Vernon.

Severus had had a very similar summer to Lily. When he returned home it wasn't a home he had remembered. Much of the town was in ruins now. Lord Voldemort had reached his tentacles into Severus' home town. Eileen had put up wards to guard the house but they all knew it wouldn't be enough for such a powerful wizard. The family contemplated leaving but the whole country was like this. They were quickly running out of places to escape. In the end they decided to bide their time and hope that the spells in place would be enough.

Severus studied his mum's old books, hoping to learn more and protect himself if he ever needed it. It was during this time that he started practicing occlumency. He vowed to teach Lily that as well. It could very easily safe her life. The best parts of his days was his little owl visitor. He loved hearing from Lily and tried to write back as soon as Archi felt up to it again. Right now it was also his only contact with the outside world. Eileen forbade him from leaving the house alone. It was a miserable and lonely three months inside the small house.

September came and they headed back to Hogwarts. The train was emptier than ever before. Many parents chose to homeschool their children. They felt it was the safest option. Right now everyone had opinions on which side was safest, Dumbledore's or Voldemort's but no one could truly be sure. By sending the students back to Hogwarts they were also sending them back to Dumbledore and some parents didn't want to take that risk. There was also one well known family that had gone missing. The family consisted of two parents and two children, all of whom were magical. Both of the children had attended Hogwarts but the family hadn't been seen since the start of summer and everyone feared the worst. Yet Severus and his family agreed that Hogwarts was the safest place for him right now. They believed Dumbledore to be a good man and he provided more protection than anywhere else. Lily wasn't quite as sure. She'd always liked and respected the man but her fellow students made her question everything now.

James had been furious last year when he learned of their relationship. He'd had feelings for Lily for quite some time now and Severus wasn't one of his favorite people. If Severus hadn't been best friends with or dating Lily, him and James could have made great friends. The Marauders had intended on joining the Slytherin, Ravenclaw couple during the train ride. James arrived first to find Severus and Lily hand in hand and lips to lips. He'd stormed off angrily and refused to let any of the other three be with Severus and Lily.

Lily and Peter weren't friends exactly but they respected each other. Lily strongly remembered that scene from a few years back of Peter's abusive father and how scared and reluctant Peter had been to go home with him. Lily understood the situation having lived a similar one and it was something the two of them bonded over. Outside of the Marauders, Lily was the only other student to acknowledge Peter's existence. She had a similar bond with Remus who had confided his secret in her. She hadn't told anyone, not even her best friend. It was his secret to tell and she wouldn't take that away. Severus had suspicions on what Remus was. He'd noticed how his illness seemed to happen every month and usually around the full moon. He was positive Remus was a werewolf he just didn't have any proof. Lily would have none of it. Whenever Severus mentioned the topic, Lily would change it. She had no interest in his theory and eventually Severus shut up and tried to figure it out himself. Severus didn't particularly care for any of the four boys. They'd gained a reputation for bullying other students, especially James and Sirius. Lily didn't mind them. She got along well with everyone but she was a more accepting person. Lily was well aware of James' feelings but she had no interest in him and tried to avoid his advances whenever possible. Still, he couldn't take the hint. She had noticed James come up to the compartment that day and couldn't help but smile at his reaction. Severus had asked her why she was smiling, completely oblivious to what had just happened. She brushed it off and told him she was just happy to be together at last.

The tender moments together didn't last long. School ate up every bit of spare time. Next year would be their owls and the two of them tried to cram in as much as possible this year to help ease their load the next. Severus started teaching Lily occlumency. Even though he was still practicing, the skill came easily to him. He was a good teacher, he'd taught her so much over the years but this was different. It was impossible to "close your mind" while standing across from the love of your life. What had intended to be study sessions usually turned into the two of them just goofing around and exploring one another's anatomy. They were only 14 and still too innocent to do much else than admire each other's bodies. Nevertheless, she eventually learned how to do occlumency and started closing her mind to everyone, even herself. She kept the horrors of her past locked away and it changed her. She knew those memories existed but they were locked behind doors where she couldn't picture the details or the emotions behind them without setting the memories free. She a kept a cold distance from nearly everyone now. The few friends she had made before learning occlumency were the only people allowed in. It was something that Severus would eventually regret. He thought occlumency would keep her safe but it only did more damage.

Most of the Slytherin students who had graduated the previous year had become Knights, now called Deatheaters, like they said they would. Friends and family members of the new Deatheaters who still resided in Hogwarts shared the words of Voldemort. His presence was ever reaching and extended farther and farther into the school. The name "Lord Voldemort" and his "Deatheaters" had gained a kind of infamy now. Many people were afraid but many others stood in awe at just the thought of him. Everyone knew he was about to change the world.

Severus and Lily laid together on the grass looking up at the blue sky. Instead of their usual tree they sat near the forbidden forest out of view from the castle. At times like this they felt like they were the only ones in the world. Severus turned on his side and propped himself up on his elbow, looking at Lily. He ran his fingers through her long auburn hair.

"Lils?"

"Hmm?"

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

Lily blushed "Every day, Sev." She turned to face him and gave him a quick peck.

"So I was thinking about buying some train tickets and going to Cokeworth for a few days this summer."

"Are you sure its wise to travel alone right now?" Severus asked with a furrowed brow

"Oh Sev, I'll be fine. Stop worrying so much."

"I just don't want you to get hurt. There are too many crazy people in the world right now."

"And I'm one of them." Lily tried to give Severus another kiss but he pulled away.

"What do you mean by that?" a large frown appeared on his face and he sat up. "You aren't listening to the other Slytherins again are you?"

Lily sat up too. "Well, maybe they're right. He is the only one willing to stop all this you know."

"Willing to stop it? Lily, he started it!"

Lily shook her head. "We don't know that."

"Then why did all the murders and kidnappings start at the same time he became popular? You can't possibly believe this is all just a coincidence."

"What do you suggest we do then?"

"Not get involved in the dark arts for one."

"Excuse me? I believe you were the one who told me that any spell could be dark if used on someone. You've seen what that toe rag James does to some of the Slytherins. You can't possibly think he's dark?"

"He may not be a dark wizard but that doesn't mean he can't use dark spells. What about the Slytherins? They curse people too but you always defend them!"

"That's because they only do it to mudbloods and blood traitors. Never to innocent people."

Severus grabbed Lily by the shoulders and shook her gently. "Lily! Listen to yourself! YOU are a mudblood."

Lily shook her head. "No I'm not, Sev."

"How could you possibly be anything else? Both of your parents were non magical, muggles."

"You're right about the non magical part. You know how people say muggleborns are stealing their magical powers?"

"Yes…?"

"I think its true. I did some research in the Library. It turns out my dad was a squib. I never knew his parents or anything about them until now. My grandma attended Ilvermorny, the American wizarding school. That's why no one recognizes the name 'Evans'. It isn't a wizarding name here but it is a wizarding name there. My grandpa was a muggle and my dad turned out to be a squib. That's why he was so angry about me being magical. The abuse just got worse when it started. I have what he never could."

"I don't understand."

"Severus, I'm a half blood like you."

"Why didn't Dumbledore know then?"

Lily shrugged "Maybe he does, he's a very secretive man."

"Ok, but even if that's all true, that's no reason to hex Muggleborns and anyone who isn't a pureblood. You're wandering down a dark path Lily. I don't know if I can do this anymore." Severus stood up and walked away.

"Sev, wait!" Lily cried but he had no intention of listening. Lily sat back on the grass in silent tears. She knew how hard it was to talk to him when he was this angry. She didn't expect him to speak to her for a while. She knew how he worked. But she didn't know what this meant for them, if things were over between them or not. He could be so short sighted sometimes.

Severus didn't necessarily avoid Lily but he did give her the cold shoulder for a few days. She was just being so stupid. He'd seen what her roommates were capable of doing to other people and he was afraid she'd become just like them. When they were kids she had been fascinated by the dark arts but never with the intention of harming someone. Now he wasn't so sure.

It was a crisp October morning. Severus was still furious with Lily. He found a secluded area near the Black Lack and started practicing one of his new spells. He had been working on it for a while now and was still fine tuning it. Something about it just wasn't right.  _ Sectumsempra _ he thought. With a slash of his wand through the air a deep gash appeared in the bark of the tree. He hadn't intended to ever use this spell on a person. It was an extremely violent and dangerous spell but it was great to release anger. He'd always cast it silently so that others couldn't use it on living things. He performed the spell several more times with different wand movements until the tree was in shreds.

"You're a hypocrite, Sev." Severus turned around to see a red faced Lily staring at him and his heart sank. "You said you couldn't deal with me going down a dark path yet here I find you performing some of the darkest magic I've seen. You're right, I can't do this anymore either. We're over Sev." Lily turned and left before Severus could see the tears running down her face. Her friends had been right. He was a good for nothing twat.


	23. Chapter 23

They both stayed at Hogwarts that Christmas. It was becoming more and more dangerous to return home. The communication between them was rocky and awkward, each unable to forgive each other and so they avoided one another altogether. That January, their shared birthday month, was the only birthday they hadn't spent together since their friendship began. Severus' birthday was on the 9th. It was his 15th birthday. He celebrated with his Ravenclaw buddies with some sweets from Honeyduke's and some illegal firewhiskey. It was his first taste of alcohol and he overindulged in the explosive taste. Lily had broken up with him mid October. It had been nearly three months since they last spoke yet the only thing that could get her out of his mind was the newfound alcohol. He woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and unquenchable thirst.

"You really hit that bottle last night, mate" Oliver said, slapping Severus' shoulder. "You still upset about that Slytherin girl?"

"That 'Slytherin girl' has a name" Severus replied.

"No matter, you've seen the stuff her and her friends get up to. Just last week she hung a Gryffindor boy upside down in one of the 4th floor corridors."

Severus had in fact heard about that and he laughed to himself. It had no doubt been James Potter. He still wanted to get in Lily's pants. Now his reasoning was that he might be able to turn her back to the light.

"The Gryffindor deserved it" Severus replied.

"Whatever you say man but you need to start getting over her."

Like that'll ever happen thought Severus. He downed a pepper up potion and walked with the other three boys to the Great Hall. Perhaps Oliver was right, he needed to let Lily go and move on.

Lily was truly broken hearted. Their conversation had started off innocent and now he wanted nothing to do with her. She was aware of the Marauder's map. It was a secret Remus had let her in on. That day she found Severus slashing the tree to pieces she had looked for him everywhere. When she couldn't find him she asked Remus for help and he immediately told her where Severus was. He had found a secluded spot near the edge of the forest. She never would have been able to find him there on her own. The look of surprise on Severus' face told her he thought the same thing. Maybe it had been irrational for her to jump on him like that. She deeply regretted what she had said to him. Severus tried to explain to her the next day but she had no interest then. Now she did and he avoided her at all costs. He sat on the opposite side of every classroom they shared together, avoided her eye contact, would turn and head the opposite direction if he saw her coming, he'd even stopped showing up for the study group. That last one hurt all of them. He was the smartest kid in the entire school and the whole group suffered for Lily's mistake. Many of them had asked her what happened but she couldn't tell them. She was hurt and ashamed. They'd find out eventually.

Her friends hadn't understood. They had never been a fan of Sev and were rather happy she was rid of him. When they had been dating, her roommates called Severus a blood traitor behind her back. Now that it was over they said it to her face. She slowly realized that they were probably right and it was best that she was free if him. His family was close with many muggles. Part of it was because of his muggle father and part of it was living in a muggle town. A town now completely full of bitter memories for her. Even his best friend, Oliver, was a Mudblood.

By the end of the school year it was like nothing had ever existed between them. Her body and heart still ached for him, he felt the same way about her but the stars hadn't aligned in their favor. They were meant for other things. It was funny actually, the person who had introduced this world to her was the same person who wished she wasn't a part of it.

It was their fifth year, OWL year. Lily had joined in the fun hexing first years and anyone else who didn't agree with their ideals. She taught her friends a few of her own spells, Levicorpus was the one they used most. The best part of it was that no one else was able to release the victims from their upside down hold, they simple didn't know the countercurse. Everyone except Severus. He always seemed to show up whenever Lily and her gang were causing mayhem. Lily had noticed Severus had started hanging around with the Marauders. She was sure they had shared their map with him too. That alone was hurtful for her. What was worse was the fourth year Ravenclaw he was constantly with now, Cassia Hollow. They'd been friendly in the past but nothing that had worried her. Now it was evident he had moved on and forgotten her entirely.

That September, shortly after school had started, Lily left to study by the lake. When she walked out the great oak doors she saw Severus and Cassia in a distance, under THEIR tree. Lily should have been there instead. It was HER tree and HER Severus. She swallowed the lump in her throat and retreated back inside. That had been too much for her. From then on she spent most of her time in the Slytherin common room. She didn't have to worry about seeing Severus there and it was full of people like her.

Cassia had cinnamon brown hair which matched her scent. She had fair skin and light blue eyes. She was a muggleborn but that didn't matter to Severus or Rus as she called him. They had started talking towards the end of the previous school year. She had needed help with potions, one of her worst subjects and everyone told her Severus knew the most. She had been nervous during their first meeting. He had a stern face and penetrating eyes. She could only imagine what an impressive yet terrifying adult he would make. His face and hair combined with his tenacity to wear black clothes reminded her of a large bat.

The relationship worked out well for them. She was terrible at potions but her favorite subject was Care of magical creatures which happened to be a downfall for Severus. He was too fearful of them to really get close and study them. She aspired to be a magizoologist like Newt Scamander. Severus wanted a career researching and creating new potions. They had a lot of muggle connections since they both had muggle blood. Over the summer, Severus came to visit her and they attended a local movie theatre. He had taken her to see Jaws which was perfect for her love of animals, nevermind the fact that she was now terrified of water. She lived in a muggle town fairly close to Cokeworth and they went on many dates that summer when it was safe. Cassia always felt safe with Severus around. She'd seen him with his last girlfriend. While they had seemed perfect together they had been driven apart by politics. She noticed a sad look come across Rus' face whenever Lily was nearby. She tried not to let it hurt her, she understood he'd lost more than just a girlfriend last year but she still dreaded seeing Lily. Lily had clearly noticed her too but instead of sadness, Lily's face was full of anger. Cassia almost felt like a third wheel between them.

It was a Hogsmeade weekend. Severus took Cassia to Madam Puddifoot's tea shop. He didn't particularly care for the place but Cassia was a hopeless romantic and loved it. They weren't the only couple in the shop. It was hard to go on dates in such a small town and this place was one of the few people enjoyed. It's not like they noticed. They spent the day only in the presence of each other, sharing kisses and lovesick glances. After a couple cups of tea and biscuits they left the shop and walked along the outskirts of town, hand in hand.

"Severus? What's on your mind? You seem off today."

"Oh, nothing. Just stressed I guess. I'll have a lot to do for OWLS this year."

"I can be your welcome distraction" Cassia said with a smile.

"Nonsense, Cassy, studying will be a distraction from you." Severus pressed his thin lips against Cassia's full ones. "Besides, you need to start preparing for your OWLS."

"Need I remind you I won't have them until next year?"

"Yes, I know but I also know how bad you are at keeping up on your work." He flashed her a wicked grin.

"It wasn't a problem until you came around." She said playfully "Now I have much better things to do."

"Enlighten me, will you?"

Cassia started nibbling his ear and slowly worked her way to his mouth then down to the base of his neck. Severus felt the excitement in more than one area and tried to keep her from noticing. His efforts had the opposite effect.

"It's okay, you don't have to be shy."

Severus loved how headstrong she was.

"Get away from that mudblood filth. You don't want to tarnish your reputation any more, do you Snape?"

Severus jerked his head away from Cassia to look at the intruder. It was Barty Crouch Jr. and a so far silent Augustus Rookwood.

"What did you just say, Crouch?" the taller Severus strode over to where the Slytherins were standing.

"You heard me, Snape."

"You're nothing but a pathetic deatheater wanna be. I doubt your precious Lord would want anything to do with you. The only thing going for you is your father's reputation. You have no skills of your own." Severus retorted.

"Petrificus Totalis!" shouted Barty. Severus blocked the curse wordlessly

"Come on, you can do better than that."

"Stupefy!" shouted Rookwood and Crouch at the same time to be blocked yet again.

Severus clicked his tongue. "I expected 3rd years to be beyond the beginner spells. I guess you proved me wrong."

"Flipendo!" Rookwood aimed at Cassia and was again blocked by Snape.

"How DARE you!" Severus said with cold fury. "Unguis accrescere!" Rookwood yelled in pain as he felt his toenails grow too long to comfortably fit in his shoes. "Densaugeo!" Severus aimed for his second victim. Barty's teeth began growing at tremendous speed. He looked more ridiculous than anything but it also affected his ability to speak.

"Levicorpus!" Rookwood caught Severus by surprise this time and he was yanked into the air.

_ Liberacorpus _ thought Severus and he was released back to the ground. He was careful to never say this one out loud. "Expelliarmus!" Severus called and the wands of the two boys leapt to him. "incarcerous" he mumbled and both boys were tied together. His third and final spell on them was Langlock. It would keep them quiet until Severus was able to escape with Cassia. Once back on Hogwarts grounds he gave Cassia a quick kiss "hurry back to the common room, I'll meet you there." Severus ran off towards the castle before she could reply. He ran the entire way to Dumbledore's office. It was only when he got to the door that he realized he didn't know the password. He stood there for a moment trying to think of what to do when suddenly the gargoyle stepped to the side and let Severus up it's staircase. The door opened of its own volition when he reached it.

"You wished to speak to me, Mr. Snape?" stated the Headmaster.

"I…yes" replied a confused Severus. "Something must be done about the Slytherins! They are becoming increasingly violent to the rest of us."

"By violent do you mean a toenail growing curse? Or perhaps binding others in a rope?"

Severus was silent. It was him that had done those things. How could the Headmaster possibly know already?

"Severus, I know everything that happens here. Your actions did not go unnoticed."

"What about theirs? They ambushed us! This isn't the first time she's been threatened!"

"And why does that matter?" asked an all knowing Dumbledore.

"Isn't it obvious? Lord Voldemort is becoming more prevalent everyday. People like her are being killed. It's only a matter of time until the death starts occurring inside school walls."

"Do you truly think so little of me Severus? Do you not think I'm aware of Voldemort's actions? We are doing everything we can to protect the students inside this building and that includes Slytherin house. What do you think will happen if we kick them all out of the school? Will they stray from Voldemort then? No, they'll run to him even more eagerly and our situation will become worse. And what about the Slytherin girl you cared so much about four years ago?"

"I tried to save her."

"Did you?" the twinkle in Dumbledore's eye was gone. Severus made no reply and the doors behind him opened. This conversation was over.


	24. Chapter 24

"I heard what you did to Barty and Augustus yesterday, Severus". It was the first real conversation Lily and Severus had had since their break up nearly a year ago. He noticed she'd dropped her nickname for him.

"And did you hear what they did to my girlfriend and I?" Severus asked.

The words stung Lily. She didn't know they were officially dating now. "They are two of the least talented Slytherins. I doubt they could have done much."

"They ambushed us and tried to attack her."

"Maybe you shouldn't be dating a muggleborn then."

"You're kidding me right? Up until last year we thought YOU were muggleborn. Why does her blood matter?"

"You know why."

"Planning on becoming a Deatheater then are you?"

Lily shrugged. "I've got to join the cause, besides he was very impressed with my potion and spell ability."

"Oh yes, I'm sure you'll be one of his highest ranking murderers." Severus spat as he walked away towards Ravenclaw tower.

Severus thought of Headmaster Dumbledore's words the previous night. Did he really try and save her? She did have natural ability, she was an amazing witch but he couldn't help but feel guilty. He'd tutored her in potions before they were even at Hogwarts. He had been the one to teach her how to improve potions, to close her mind, to create her own spells. He had crafted the weapon that she became and she handed herself over to the dark lord without any clue of what she was doing. She never should have been in Slytherin. That was the last piece of her destructive puzzle. She was going to ruin so many lives, break up families, and then hand them directly to Voldemort himself. What would happen to her own family? Had she even thought about that? Severus sobbed quietly into his hands. The guilt that he felt towards Lily was overwhelming. It was all his fault and he needed to fix it. Severus got up from his bed. He had to find Lily and make things right. He walked down the stairs to the common room and ignored Cassia's calls for him. He hurried to the library, he knew the Marauders liked to study there. Surely they would know where Lily was.

"Bad luck, mate." James said "Looks like she's in the dungeons headed towards her common room.

Severus dashed back out of the room without so much as a thank you. He ran through the castle with careful glances. Filch and Professor McGonagall would be furious with him if either of them caught him. His speed did him no good, she was no where to be found in the dungeons and he figured she'd slipped inside her common room. Severus knew generally where the entrance was and he waited outside until another Slytherin came by.

"What are you doing out here, Snape?" Severus turned his head, it was the Slytherin Prefect, Astoria Malfoy. She had the same white blonde hair that Lucius had had. Her bright green eyes reminded Severus of Lily.

"I needed to speak to Lily Evans, I believe she's inside."

Astoria eyed him suspiciously "I'll see if I can get her to come out but be warned, you aren't liked here."

Severus nodded "Thank you."

Several minutes later the wall hiding the entrance slid open and two girls stepped out. Astoria was accompanied by a very angry Lily. Astoria let them be and returned to Slytherin house.

"What do you want Severus?"

"We need to talk."

"Oh you said plenty earlier. Did you come to insult me some more?"

"I'm worried about you, Lily. I don't want you getting mixed up in this war and getting hurt. I still love you Lily."

Lily bit her lip, unsure of what to say.

"Can we talk somewhere else?" Severus asked uneasy. Lily nodded and they walked in the direction of the front doors. Their meeting place didn't need to be said outloud. When they reached their old tree Severus spoke up again.

"What about your family Lily? They're muggles, the very people Voldemort is going after. What if they get hurt?"

"I'm sure the Dark Lord will protect them."

"Lily all of his followers are pure blood. He won't be happy knowing you come from a predominately muggle family. He wants to cleanse the world of anyone who isn't a pureblood. That includes you and most certainly your family. No one stops being a Deatheater, Lily. Once you possess his mark you will be his forever. What if you change your mind?"

"Severus, I fit in here."

"No you don't. This isn't who you used to be. You changed yourself to fit in. The shy, stuttering Lily is long gone."

"I'm not a child anymore and you've changed too you know"

"Lily, the point is you've become a hateful person. Remember how worried you were about your own blood status when you first got here? Now you're one of the reasons other people feel that way. I'm sorry, I don't mean to hurt you I'm just worried and I don't like the people you hang out with."

"I don't like the people you hang out with either, Sev."

He noticed she used his old nickname again. "My friends aren't threatening the very existence of other people."

Lily was silent.

"Look, neither of us like each other's friends and our friends don't like us seeing each other. I want you back in my life. What if we both try to make new friends and find something we can both agree on?"

"What about your girlfriend?"

"I don't know. We'll figure it out. I really like her but I love you and will do what I need to to have you back."

"Can you explain one thing to me? What you were doing to that tree last year?"

Severus sighed. "I was angry with you to be honest. It's a spell I never intended to use on a person. I can only imagine what it would do. That's why I was performing it wordlessly, I didn't want someone to overhear and use it the wrong way. I was really just trying to release some emotion."

Lily nodded her head, it made sense. "Friends?"

"We can certainly try." They both stood up from where they'd been sitting beneath the tree. It was awkward now that their conversation was over. Severus ran a hand through his hair. "I guess I better go talk to Cassia, she's probably pissed at me."

"How come?"

"Well she was trying to get my attention when I was looking for you and I ignored her." Severus said sheepishly.

"That wasn't very nice, Sev, but I'm glad you did."

They both felt better after their talk. It would take a lot of work but they felt as though some of the ice between them had melted.

They worked hard to make their friendship work again. Lily spent very little time in her dorm and tried to avoid other Slytherins when she could. Right now she only had Severus and it was hard being so alone. He was doing the same thing, spending more time with her than anyone else, anyone else except his girlfriend "Cassy". Lily gagged at the thought of her. The three of them tried to make things work but it was understandably awkward. Lily appreciated that Severus had turned his back on his mates like he said he would. As much as she hated it she knew he couldn't exactly do the same thing to Cassia. Lily just had to wait for the relationship to fizzle out, if it ever did.

Severus was definitely a physical being. Lily remembered how intense their kisses had been and she tried to ignore the pangs of jealousy she felt with the new girl. He was naturally a good kisser and knew all the right moves. It was something she'd seen him use on the new girl more than Lily had ever cared to see. But still he was making an effort. Lily swallowed her feelings and pretended she didn't care as much as she really did. She hoped it came off sincere.

Lily went home that Christmas. If she was going to try and fix things that meant she'd have to fix things with her family too. Tuney had just turned 18 the previous month and had plans to attend a University closer to her boyfriend, Vernon. Last Lily had heard they were planning on moving in together. Lily had to make her relationship right before her sister left home.

Severus stayed at Hogwarts and unfortunately for Lily, so did Cassia. The castle was mostly empty during Christmas break and they had taken advantage of the fact. Cassia had turned 15 in October, Severus would be turning 16 in less than a month. Their bodies were throbbing with hormones and they frisked each other and made out in nearly every empty corridor. One snowy day when they couldn't wait any longer they stumbled upon the room of requirement which was fit to their sexual need. Severus was rather surprised the room of requirement would work this way in a castle full of horny teenagers. They kissed passionately as they made their way to the bed. Cassia unbuttoned every stupid button of the robes Rus insisted on wearing. She joked that by the time she was done she wouldn't be in the mood any more. Severus slipped off her shirt and fiddled with the clasp of her bra. Suddenly they were both naked and she was on top of him.

"Are you sure?" Severus asked

"Absolutely. Are you?"

Severus responded with a kiss and slipped inside her. He cupped her large breasts as she rode on top of him. It didn't take him long to finish, being his first time. Cassia didn't quite have the same experience where it was her first as well. They lay in the bed together panting and sweating. Severus started at her naked body and ran his hand down her curves. With his other arm he propped himself up on his elbow and admired her beauty. He ran his fingers through her cinnamon brown hair and they talked about nothing. She snuggled up next to him and fell asleep in his arms. He stayed awake, careful not to be gone too long and get caught. An hour later he woke her with a gentle kiss. They dressed quickly and slipped out the door back into the real world.


	25. Chapter 25

Lily noticed a change between the couple when she returned to Hogwarts. Her and Sev were trying to be friends again but she had to stop hoping for something more. He had clearly moved on and she needed to too. She was trying to figure out who she was. All her life she had been told the kind of person she was supposed to be and now she needed to figure it out for herself. She hadn't been bothered to plan out her future after Hogwarts, she had been planning to join Voldemort's ranks. Her greatest passion in school was potions. She juggled the idea of becoming a healer and discussed this in her meeting with Professor Slughorn. It was her way to join the cause without actually picking a side. Her roommates had noticed the change in her behavior. She avoided them as much as possible and kept to herself when she couldn't. She still wanted to be friends with them but she knew that would cost her Sev and that was more important.

Fifth year dragged by for them. This was the most they'd ever studied and it seemed to stop time. Today was the final OWL exam. Lily sat a ways away from Severus but even from her distance she could see his nose almost nearly pressed to the parchment and writing so fast his hand was almost a blur. His long, lank hair touched the desk over which he hovered. She laughed to herself and continued her exam. She finished before he did, no doubt because of how detailed Severus could be. She walked outside and sat under the tree with Cassia who was also waiting for him. They watched as the Marauders came put of the castle. James ruffled his hair when he saw Lily and played with the snitch. Maybe she should give him a chance after all. He wasn't exactly a good person but neither was she. She wanted to start seeing other people and maybe this was a good place to start. She stood up and walked over to him.

"James? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

James turned to look at his friends and raised his eyebrows. "Sure"

They walked over to a more secluded area by the lake. "Do you remember last week when you asked me out?"  _ again _ she added mentally

James feigned thought "I think so, why?"

"I've decided to take you up on it."

James tried to hide his surprise but Lily saw his eyes widen.

"What did you have in mind?' Lily continued.

"Um, I don't know, there's not much to do around here other than go to Hogsmeade."

"Hogsmeade it is then."

"Great, I'll see you tomorrow night at seven. Meet me near the doors."

"Sounds good." Lily smiled to herself after James walked away. She turned to walk back to the tree where Severus had arrived. Cassia was leaning up against the tree and they were making out. Lily decided against interrupting them and went to join the Marauders.

Severus and Cassia went at it like rabbits ever since their first time several months ago. It was insanely easy to have sex here and not get caught. The room of requirement was their best bet but with a few charms it was easy to do almost anywhere. After a particularly long love session one day they laid there in Severus' bed together. He'd given his roommate the heads up and they knew to keep out. He added some protection, concealment, and silencing charms just to be safe. The silencing charms were mostly for her, she could get pretty loud. Cassia was much shorter than he was. He was her big teddy bear. She ran her fingers through his growing chest hair.

"Severus?" He turned to look at her. "I love you."

"I know. I love you too." He gave her a gentle kiss. His love for Lily had faded while his love for Cassia grew. It still lingered inside him ready to be awoken at a moments notice but he belonged to Cassy now and Lily belonged to James. He still couldn't believe she'd started dating the prick. He didn't know what she saw in him.

They laid there a while longer before deciding it was time to leave and let the other boys back into the room. Oliver was out with his girlfriend Anny and David was with his boyfriend Tom. Taylor was the only single boy in the room and was happy to have it to himself while the other three were out.

Severus watched Cassia leave. He stayed in the room to finish packing, they'd be leaving tomorrow. Taylor walked in the room to do the same, followed by a very annoyed Salem. Severus' cat was never happy being locked out of the room and he let Severus know.

"You guys are still going pretty strong, huh?" Taylor asked.

Severus hurried to hide the evidence of what the two of them had just done.

"Is she any good?"

"Like I'd tell you. Besides, I don't have anything to compare it to." Severus replied.

"You and Lily never did it? Man that's a surprise. Me and the other guys had a bet going on how long you and Cassia would last. Thanks for making me lose by the way."

"That's what you get for betting on my sex life. What about you? Have you deflowered any princesses yet?"

"Yeah actually, there's this girl back home I've hooked up with a couple times."

"Anything serious?"

"Nah, just sex."

Severus nodded his head.

Lily went on a few dates with James before they became official. She didn't consider them serious by any means. She couldn't see a future with James. He was very handsy which she didn't like. She just didn't feel comfortable doing the things he wanted to do. Much to his disappointment the farthest they'd gotten was first base. He was also very clingy and she rarely had alone time with Severus any more. She was looking forward to this summer. She was going to take the trip to Cokeworth like they'd discussed almost two years ago. She convinced him that she was able to take care of herself if anything bad happened. It took a lot of talking before he finally was okay with it. She'd be staying with his family for the second half of summer. She was arriving in mid July and they would leave for Hogwarts together.

She escaped James' tentacles with the excuse she had to finish packing. She'd gotten it all done the previous day but needed an excuse to get out of there. Lily spent the rest of the night relaxing in her room. Tomorrow morning would be the end of year feast and then they'd be off.

Slytherin house won the quidditch cup that year but they received last place for the house cup, no doubt because of all the detentions. Ravenclaw ended up being the winner which Severus used to hold over her. The four of them, Lily, James, Severus, and Cassia, rode together for most of the way home. Towards the end Cassia and James left to see their other friends and for the first time in a long time it was just Severus and Lily again. She had been sitting opposite Sev, next to James but moved over next to Severus when the others left. She leaned her head on his broad shoulder.

"Just like old times." Lily said. Severus held her hand like they had when they were children. There was nothing behind it other than friendship.

"James seems to really get on your nerves." Severus stated.

Lily sighed "He just won't leave me alone. Sometimes I just need space."

"I feel the same way too sometimes. I miss when it was just us."

"Maybe we can give it another chance?"

"Lily…"

"What?"

Severus rubbed his forehead with his free hand. "Cassia said she loved me yesterday and I…well I said it back."

Lily took her hand from his and sat up "oh."

"I'm sorry, it's not how I wanted you to find out."

She shrugged. "I should have seen it coming."

As hard as she tried to reassure him that she was okay with it, Severus knew she wasn't. It was a good thing they were almost home. Neither of them knew how to break the silence that had come over them. The train pulled into the platform and Cassia came in for a quick, not so quick, goodbye kiss. Lily awkwardly waited for them to exchange goodbyes which apparently required their tongues. Cassia left with Severus behind her, his hand on the small of her back. Lily and James shared a quick peck before following the others out of the train. They walked out holding hands before saying goodbye. Lily walked over to where her family was standing with Eileen, Tobias, Severus, and…Cassia.

Severus greeted the Evans family and said goodbye to Lily. He wouldn't be apparating home with his mother like the years before. Where Cassia lived nearby they'd promised to take her home as well. The four of them piled into the VW and set off on their ride home.

It was Saturday, July 17th, 1976. It was the day Lily was to arrive. Severus had been up in his room reading when the doorbell rang. He was the only one home and went to answer it.  _ That's weird _ he thought  _ I thought Lily was supposed to be here later _ . Severus answered the door to a distressed, tearful Cassia. She threw herself on him. "Rus, I need to talk to you."


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that this IS a snily, just wait ;)

Severus was in shock. Cassia had left nearly an hour ago and all he had done was get drunk with his dad's beer. Lily would be arriving in an hour. Severus got up and wobbled his way to the shower. Instead of washing himself like he'd intended, he spent the remainder of the wait hugging the toilet. It wasn't just the alcohol making him sick. Shortly before Lily arrived, Severus took a pepper up potion. It helped some but he still felt like crap. At least now his parents wouldn't immediately suspect he had been drinking.  _ Oh crap, my parents _ he thought and vomited again.

Lily had an uneventful train ride to the Colchester station. She took a quick Taxi ride to the Snape house. Eileen and Tobias had been unable to pick her up this time. Lily was jittery with excitement. She couldn't wait to see her dearest friend and it was nice to be back in her home town. She wanted to explore what was left of it. Lily rapped on the door waiting for him to answer. Several minutes passed with nothing and she rapped again. When he didn't answer the second time she unearthed the spare key and let herself in.

"Sev?" she called into the house and was answered by the sound of someone throwing up. Lily ran upstairs to find him in the bathroom as an absolute mess. "Sev? What's wrong?" She noticed the empty bottle next to him on the floor. "Have you been drinking?"

"Cassia's pregnant" he burst.

Lily felt her heart sink and she slid onto the floor next to him.

"How…wha-…I don't understand. How did this happen?"

"I don't know! We did everything right."

"How is she doing?"

Severus sat up straight and looked at Lily for the first time. "She's pretty upset. She stopped by this morning, Only left about an hour ago."

"So you just found out?"

Severus nodded.

"Have you talked about what you're going to do at all?"

He shook his head "No, she has an appointment next week that we're going to. No one else knows, Lily. Keep it to yourself."

"I will, I promise. You smell like crap by the way."

Lily helped him clean up and put him to bed. "Stay here, I'll be back." Lily went downstairs to Eileen's potions room and grabbed a sleeping draught. "Here, drink this. Try not to stress out, things will be fine." She kissed his foreheaded and headed for the door.

"Lily?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Of course." She smiled and closed the door behind her. Once downstairs she slipped the spare key in her pocket and left. Severus would be asleep for a few hours, now would be a great time to explore. The first place she visited was the cemetery where her dad was buried. She stood there silently. It was the first time she'd visited since his funeral. She held so many mixed emotions about her dad. Resentment was probably the biggest but there was also guilt, anger, and even some love. Her childhood had been hard because of him but there were still some good memories she had of him. She wished he had told her the truth about her past and what she was. From there she visited her old home which had fallen apart since the last time she'd been there. The fire had weakened it but time took the final toll on it. She visited her old school and other things she remembered from her childhood. So many of the families she had known had been killed or gone missing. Cokeworth was so different now. Last but not least she went to her spot by the river. This was the place it all started.

Eventually she returned back to the Snape house. Eileen and Tobias were out for the day running errands. She peeked in on Sev before returning downstairs to make dinner for them all. Cooking was one domestic trait her mother had passed on to her. A while later she heard someone walking down the stairs.

"Hey sleepy head, feeling better?"

"Yeah, I am actually, thank you. What are you cooking?"

"Fish & chips."

"Mmm, smells good…Thank you for taking care of me today."

"Why don't you call Cassia?"

"We talked for awhile earlier and I'll see her on Tuesday. It's time for us."

They heard the front door unlock and Eileen stepped inside. "Severus? We're home"

"In here mum." He called from the kitchen.

The four of them sat down for dinner and spent the night catching up. His parents hadn't seen Lily for a long time. They knew they had been having some issues but they were happy the two were friends again. They stayed up and watched a movie together before heading to bed for the night. Lily was staying in the guest room during her time here. It took Severus a long time to fall asleep that night. He didn't understand how it had happened. They'd been so careful. They used muggle and magical means of protection but she still got pregnant. He never had really cared for kids, he certainly wasn't ready for his own. They'd have a lot to decide about this baby.

Lily stayed at the Snape house while Severus went with Cassia to her appointment on Tuesday. He spent the rest of the day with her. He treated her to a day on the town and they discussed their options. Severus returned home late that night. Lily was still the only one aware of the situation. When Sev came home they walked to their old spot by the river to discuss it.

"How did it go? Is she doing okay?"

"She's doing better than the other day. She's 6 weeks."

"So just barely."

"Yeah. We talked and we decided to keep it."

"Aww, Sev. You're going to be a daddy."

"Don't- don't say that. I'm not ready."

"It'll work out."

"I hope so."

It was time for 6th year. Tobias and Eileen drove Severus, Lily, and Cassia to the train station. Severus held hands with a nervous Cassia. They didn't know how this was going to work back at Hogwarts. He squeezed her hand and gave her a small smile. She smiled back. The three of them talked about their OWL results. Lily had received six outstandings in Potions, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and History of Magic. Exceeds expectations in Arithmancy and Transfiguration and an Acceptable in Astronomy. Severus had outstanding in everything but Transfiguration for which he had an were both on track to continue their desired careers.

Lily met up with James at the station and Lily, James, Severus, Cassia, Remus, Sirius, and Peter rode together to Hogwarts. It was noticeable that something had happened to Severus and Cassia over the summer. They kept to themselves during the train ride and whispered back and forth. Cassia was noticeably sad which the others found unusual but no one asked why. It wasn't until they arrived at Hogwarts that Remus brought up the topic.

"Hey Snape? Can I talk to you?" Remus asked

"Go on without me I'll meet you at the feast" Severus whispered to Cassy. She nodded her head and left with the others.

"What's up?" Severus said

"Are you guys okay? You were really quiet the whole time and that's not like either of you."

Severus scratched his head "Um, no actually but we will be."

"Are you planning on breaking up with her?"

"Ha, actually quite the opposite."

"…you're proposing?" Asked a confused Remus.

"Poor innocent Remus." Severus sighed. "I…uh… kind of knocked her up…"

"What?!"

"Yeah, that was my reaction too. Only Lily and now you know. Promise me you'll keep it a secret? Obviously people will figure it out eventually but for now we'd like to keep it a secret. That means the other three can't know."

"Wow. Well yeah, of course. It's your news to tell.

"Thanks, Remus, you're a good friend."

"Anytime Severus."


	27. Chapter 27

Severus and Cassia met with Professor Flitwick about their situation. He was understandably angry and disappointed with them. They each received several weeks of detention of whatever needed to be done. If something needed to be cleaned they would be the ones to do it. Cassia was to meet with Madam Pomfrey every two weeks for a check up. Otherwise everything proceeded as normal. They attended their classes as usual. Only the four of them were in on the secret but living with a pregnant woman can become obvious. During one of their first Potions classes the smell got to Cassia and she threw up right in her cauldron. Potions and barf are not a good combination. Professor Slughorn removed the students from the classroom and fetched Filch to clean up. That wasn't the only time she had to exit in the middle of class. The teachers we're aware of her situation. She received no special treatment and the teachers went on as if nothing had happened when she had to leave. This confused the other students. Illnesses rarely happened in the middle of class and when they did the teachers would take them to the hospital wing. This time nothing happened. Some of the girls noticed that Cassia began to put on weight and they had no trouble pointing it out to her.

Every night she would lay in Severus' bed with him. Things couldn't get any worse than they already were. The other boys didn't mind. Severus had to talked to them and they were fine with it. Severus would put a silencing charm on the bed so that they could talk in peace. These night time moments together were some of the best for both of them. It was just them. No more judging or whispers and no more embarrassment. Just her and him and their baby. Severus liked to hold her growing belly. They talked about their plans for the future and what they would name the baby. They tried not to worry too much about what would happen once it was born, they would both be at Hogwarts.

It was October 21st, she was 22 weeks pregnant. Severus accompanied her to every appointment with Madam Pomfrey but this one was special. Today they were to find out the sex of their baby. Madam Pomfrey cast a quick spell and they learned they were to have a girl. Neither of them really cared as long as it was healthy but it was still exciting. By this time it was becoming increasingly obvious that she was pregnant. They didn't tell anyone else, the others would find out eventually. That night Severus promised Lily he would hang out with her. They hadn't had much of a chance since school started and they missed each other dearly. They met each other at the tree after dinner.

"Guess what, Lily?" Severus asked with a huge smile.

"Oh you found out?!"

"It's a girl!"

"Congratulations!" She gave him a big hug. "I have to say, you've certainly changed from the 9 year old Severus I used to know."

"Well that was seven years ago. You've changed too you know."

"I know."

"So what's been up with you?"

"Well I broke up with James."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't worry about it, its not a big deal."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, things just didn't feel right. I was hoping my feelings would change after summer but they didn't."

"When did this happen?"

"The second week back."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"Incase you haven't noticed, you have been a bit busy."

"Lily, I'm never too busy for you."

"I know but its okay, it really is."

"I love you, Lils."

"I love you too, Sev."

They joked around like old times. Things had changed so much in the past year, especially over the summer. They felt closer than ever before. Severus leaned up against the tree and Lily laid with her head in his lap and they watched the sunset. He hadn't felt this relaxed in years and oh gosh did he miss this, miss her. They'd broken up for such a stupid reason but he couldn't have both girls as much as he wanted to.

"Lily?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for everything. I know it was a lot to ask of you to give up your friends but I'm happy to have you back. I don't want to lose you again. Thank you too for being so mature about all of this. I'm sure it isn't easy."

"No, it's not. It's not easy at all but I'm trying. I don't have much of a choice."

They fell silent for a few moments.

"Sev…I…I wish it was me."

"What do you mean?"

"A lot of things. I wish we hadn't broken up, I wish I'd been your first, I wish…it was me in Cassia's place right now with you. I hate this."

"Part of me wishes all of that too. You were my first love, Lily. I've loved you ever since that day by the river. I never stopped. But, things are different now and as much as I love you, I also love her, I love them both. Gosh Lily, she's going to be the mother of my child. Just the thought of that terrifies me. What am I supposed to do? Marry her? How are we going to raise this kid while still in school? Neither of our parents know yet. We're going home over Christmas break to break the news. In hindsight that was a bad idea. She'll be…29 weeks by then. We're so screwed." Severus covered his face with his hands. "Lils, I don't know what to do."

"Maybe you should write to them tomorrow. Get it over with. It gives them a few weeks to get over the idea."

"Even better, we shouldn't go home at all. They never have to know."

"Now you're being crazy. They need to know."

Severus sighed. "I know. Ill write them."

Lily stood up to leave. "Where are you going?" asked Severus.

"I don't feel very good. I'm going to go to bed."

Severus glanced at his watch "but it's only 8?"

"I know…I'm just tired. Night, Sev."

"Goodnight" he said with a confused frown.

Lily cried herself to sleep that night. She didn't know if it made things better or worse that Sev said he still loved her. All she knew was that she had screwed up. She was the reason their elationship was over. She seemed to be the reason everything went wrong. He said he'd loved her for six years. She didn't even tell him that she had too. It was hopeless to try and win him back now. He was talking about marriage for goodness sakes. This was too much for a 16 year old boy to worry about, all of it was.

What possibly hurt the most was the he hadn't loved her enough to have sex with HER. Okay, maybe they had been a little young but wasn't he still? How many times had they done it before conception? She highly doubted that was the first time for them. Lily loved Sev with all of her heart and she didn't think Sev had loved her nearly as much as Cassia.

Lily went to breakfast the next morning with a blotchy, red face from her crying. As she walked to her table she noticed that Sev was watching her. Great I hope he doesn't notice my face. At the Gryffindor table she saw an angry James. He stabbed his food a little to hard when she walked by. Maybe she had been too harsh on him. It wasn't fair for her to string him along for as long as she did. To be honest it had all been to make Severus jealous. Obviously it hadn't worked.

Lily sat alone at the Slytherin table like she always did. She went to classes alone like she always did. She was pestered by the other Slytherins like she was everyday. Her life wasn't changing, at least not in a good way. She was tired of being alone. Tired of being the third wheel and the last thought. She studied in the library after class by herself like usual these days. Severus was too busy this year. They shared two classes together twice a week but that was all that they usually saw of each other. To be honest it seemed like his grades were slipping. Even in potions he seemed to be flustered and that wasn't like him.

The next day was glorious. She felt horrible for feeling that way but inside it felt like a little justice had been served. The majority of the school was there when mail arrived. Lily noticed a school owl fly in with a bright red letter. A howler. The owl headed straight for Ravenclaw table. Lily turned to see Severus' face turn whiter than she'd ever thought possible as the howler was dropped right in front of him. Lily hadn't been the only person to notice the letter. Several pairs of eyes were on him. The letter formed the shape of a mouth and the voice of a shrieking Eileen filled the hall and everyone fell silent.

"SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE! HOW DARE YOU GET THAT GIRL PREGNANT! I RAISED YOU BETTER THAN THAT. AND TO NOT EVEN TELL US! YOUR FATHER AND I ARE VERY DISSAPOINTED IN YOU. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE THINKING. YOU AND CASSIA ARE COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS AND WE ARE GOING TO FIX THIS."

The letter tore itself up and Severus sat there frozen. Cassia ran from the hall in tears. That was it, everyone knew now. Professor McGonagall was the first to leave her seat and chase after the girl. She stopped to collect a stunned Severus on her way. When the three of them left the room filled with noise again. "Can you believe that mudblood got pregnant?" "Did you see the look on his face?" "I told you something was up with them." "So she wasn't just getting fat." Lily had had enough. She stood up and walked out the doors too. They were both her friends. This wasn't right.

If they had thought the whispers before had been bad, they were even worse now. Students never got pregnant at Hogwarts. The last time it had happened was before any of them had attended. It provided some juicy gossip to those stuck in what was basically a boarding school. "I heard its not even his." "No she's just faking it so he doesn't break up with her." Cassia had missed several days of classes since the howler arrived. As much as they tried, no one could convince her that everything was okay and to ignore them. Lily had been the one person left to try and help her. Severus felt Lily was their last shot. Lily followed him to Ravenclaw tower where he answered the riddle and let them in. He pointed her in the direction of the girl's rooms and left her to work her magic.

Lily knocked on the door "Cassy?" She called. She was answered by sobs and slowly pushed the door open. Cassia was sitting on the farthest bed rubbing her ever protruding belly.

"Can I talk to you?" Lily asked

"Wh-what do you want?"

Lily walked over and sat on the bed next to her. She pulled Cassia over so that her head was resting on Lily's shoulder. Cassia didn't fight it, she only cried harder.

"Cassia? You love this baby right?"

Cassia looked at her stunned "Of-of course I do."

"Then why are you letting this bother you? In two years you'll be out of here and you'll never see these people again. You guys can just raise your family together."

"Lily…its not that simple."

"How come?"

"I'm okay with the people here knowing. Ill be okay with the rumors eventually. We go home in a few weeks."

"I don't understand?'

"Lily…my dad's a pastor. He's going to kill me. It was bad enough when we found out I was a witch, you know with people thinking its satanic and all but now I'm just an embarrassment to them. That's why I didn't tell them before we left. I'm so screwed."

"Does Sev know this?"

"Some of it, he knows my family is religious and all but that's it."

"Cas, you need to prepare him for what he's going home to. He's already afraid."

"That's why I can't do it." She sobbed harder. "I'm afraid I'll have to leave school. This is my OWL year, I'm already falling behind. And what am I going to do with her? I can't leave her home with my parents besides I don't want to be away from her and I'm NOT getting an abortion now. I love her. What's the point of going to class when I'll have to leave anyway?...Ouch!...Lily! The baby kicked!" Cassia ran out of the room to the common room where Severus was waiting with Lily trailing behind.

"Rus!"

"What? What's the matter?"

"She's kicking!" She grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly. Severus gave her a large smile. It was the first time either of them had smiled since the howler.

"I guess you didn't need me to convince her to leave, your own daughter did that." Lily said.

Cassia hugged her. "Thank you for talking to me Lily. Do you want to feel?"

"Um, no I'm okay. I'll just leave you too alone." Severus grabbed Cassia's hand and led her upstairs to his room as Lily walked out the door.

They laid in bed together feeling the baby tumble until she finally settled down.

"I know how I can make her move again." He said with a gleam in his eye. They were the only ones in the room. He used his wand to lock the door and cast the usual charms before they stripped.

"Oh my gosh, you look hotter than ever."

"Stop. I look like a cow."

"A hot cow." Cassia slapped him gently. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding." He admired her growing body, particularly her breasts which had gotten even bigger. He climbed on top of her for the first time since they made this baby. It was rather awkward with a bump in the way but they made it work. She watched him thoughtfully as they pleasured each other. He was tall and skinny, his hair was a little too long and his face a little too stubbly but to her he was perfect.


	28. Chapter 28

Lily had decided to go home too. The two people she spent time with were leaving, she might as well too. When the train pulled up to Kings Cross Station she could see her mother and a very excited Petunia were waiting for her. Petunia rarely came to pick up Lily. Lily had just barely taken her last step when Petunia rushed the train

"I'm engaged!" Petunia shrieked

Lily feigned excitement for her sister. She was marrying a man even worse than their father but Petunia wouldn't listen to anyone about what a horrible person Vernon was. He was controlling and mean. He didn't let Petunia do anything she wanted. She'd dropped out of college to stay home and be a house wife to him. She had had so many dreams as a kid. She wanted to become an author and was working on her degree. Now she was cleaning up after her large, angry mess of a fiancé. He hated anything slightly abnormal which of course included Lily. He didn't know she was a witch he just found her unusual. Lily wished it was legal to use magic on muggles. The things she wished she could do to him… The one thing Lily did like about Vernon was that he spoiled Petunia. He had money and by spending it he was able to show off how much he truly had. That meant they had a nice house, an expensive car, and now Petunia had giant rock on her finger.

That night Virginia and Lily had dinner with Vernon and Petunia. He spent the whole time talking about his job making drills and bragging about his life. Virginia and Lily had been happy to get out of there and return to their own home.

"How's was your summer with Severus? I haven't heard from you since you started school."

"It was okay."

"Only okay? But you were so excited to go."

"He just has a lot going on right now. He was pretty busy."

"I'm sorry to hear that. You really miss him huh?

Lily shrugged. "Yeah, he's changed though."

"You think you'll ever get back together with him?"

"No, that ship as sailed. He's happy without me"

"You never know honey."

"He's getting married mum."

"What? He's not even 17 yet."

"Trust me, he knows."

Virginia gave her a hug. "I'm sorry. I was hoping it would turn out differently too. "

The break was boring. It was quiet not having her sister around anymore, having the bed to herself when she returned home. Everything just seemed weird now. She wanted to go back to how her life used to be. She used to be so excited to go to Hogwarts. Now she couldn't wait for it to end.

Severus and Cassia had met with their parents the first night back. There was a lot of yelling and anger from everyone. Eventually it was decided that since they were going to act like adults they could live like adults. They spent the rest of their break packing up their stuff. Their parents decided to help them rent a house in Hogsmeade where they could stay and take care of the baby without having to leave school or push the responsibility onto someone else. Severus and Cassia couldn't help but feel like things had actually worked out in their favor.

Christmas was tense but at least they were still a family. Their parents had been furious but they worked on getting used to the idea. It was still their grandchild after all. Eileen apparated Cassia and Severus to Hogsmeade a few days before they were to return to Hogwarts. They found a small run down shack. It was the cheapest option for them. The rent process only took a few minutes in the magical world. They deposited their stuff. With Eileen's wand they unpacked their few belongings. Eileen disapparated and they were left alone in their small, dingy home. Reality set in and they realized how hard this was going to be. They had no money, no help, they were all alone, and they still had to worry about school. Eileen had set up some protective charms before she had left. They were no longer in the safe castle and the world was filled with murderers looking for people like them. They lay in bed that night listening to the creaking of the old run down building. Cassia snuggled closer into Severus. He was the only thing that made her feel safe right now. They slept very little that night, too worried about what was to come.

XXxX

On January 2nd, 1977 it was time to return to Hogwarts. Lily waited until the last possible moment to board the train. She didn't understand why Severus and Cassia weren't there. She wandered the train looking for someone to sit with. She didn't want to ride alone. Near the end of the last car she found an almost empty compartment.

"Remus? What are you doing here?" Lily closed the door and sat down.

"I don't know, just felt like being alone I guess."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No, you're fine. It's not you."

"…do you want to talk about it?"

"Do you remember first year when I told you about what I am?"

"Of course."

"Well there's this Slytherin boy James and Sirius have been picking on. They sent him down to the shack to meet me in werewolf form shortly before we left for Christmas."

"That's awful!"

"I'm surprised you didn't hear about it."

"I don't spend much time in Slytherin house anymore."

Remus nodded his head in understanding.

"I'm sorry they did that to you, both of you."

"It's ok, I just need some space from them I guess."

They were silent until they heard the Trolley Witch coming down the hall.

"Are you in the mood for some Chocolate?" Lily asked

"Always" replied Remus.

They cleaned out the rest of the cart of sweets and spent the train ride eating candy and talking.

"What's up with you? Why are you alone?"

"I'm actually not sure. Severus and Cassia came home for break. But I couldn't find them anywhere on my way back. I'm actually kinda pissed they didn't tell me they weren't going to be here."

"Maybe they've just been busy?"

"That's always the excuse nowadays. I gave up my friends for him, he was supposed to do the same thing from me but it seems like he just did the opposite."

"I don't think it was exactly planned…"

"No, of course not but he could at least make time for me. He's always doting on her, talking about her, its just Cassia, Cassia, Cassia. I'm sick of it.

"I'm sorry, Lily, at least we have each other?"

"Yeah I guess we do."

Remus leaned over and kissed her. She pulled back quickly. "Remus! What are y-" Remus shut her up with another kiss and she gave in this time. He was so much better at this than James. Remus pulled away this time and looked at her. She grabbed his hand and smiled at him.

"That was nice" she blushed

"Sorry, I shoul-"

"Remus you have nothing to apologize for."

They rode in an awkward silence to Hogsmeade station. They exited the train together and were one of the last ones to get off.

"I guess I'll see you later" Lily said

"Would you maybe want to go out some time?"

"Yeah, yeah I would." She replied with a smile.

She turned to walk with the rest of the students to the carriages when she saw Severus for the first time.

"Where have you been! I looked everywhere for you!"

"Well long story short, we live here now. I didn't ride the train."

"What do you mean you live here now?"

"Can I talk to you about it tomorrow?"

"I guess but you owe me an explanation."

"I know, I'm sorry. Lets go eat."

She was angry with him. He hadn't told her he wasn't going to be at the train, he hadn't bothered to say, well, anything. What did he mean they lived there now? No one lived at Hogwarts. During the feast she sat by a new first year girl. She was shy and didn't talk much but it was nice for Lily to have someone to talk to. They talked about Hogwarts. The new girl, Kristi was worried about being a Slytherin. She'd come from a pure blood family but they didn't believe in the prejudice most other Slytherin families did. Lily confided that she'd thought about becoming a death eater but a friend pulled her out of it.

"Being a Slytherin's not all bad. Not everyone has evil intentions. Just watch out for the Gryffindors. Some of them believe we're all out to get them."

The shy girl nodded her head. They made small talk for the rest of the evening. Kristi followed Lily as they walked to the dungeon. It made her feel more comfortable knowing someone already. The next day during breakfast Lily watched Sev come in with a very pregnant Cassia who had only 9 more weeks to go. Severus gave Lily a little wave from across the room as they sat down to eat. Lily stood up and walked over to where they were sitting.

"Can I talk to you outside when you're done?" Lily asked

"Um sure, I'll hurry." Severus replied as he put a couple pieces of bacon on his plate. Lily had never been a big eater and finished way before he had. She sat outside waiting for him to come out.

"What's up?" He asked when he arrived.

"I just would like to know what's going on. You usually owl me at least a couple times during breaks but I didn't hear from you at all. You didn't even bother to let me know you wouldn't be on the train. It seems like you've forgotten about me and it hurts."

"I'm sorry, you're right. I've been a bad friend. I should have told you what was going on. I'm not trying to make an excuse but I was busy-"

"Yeah, I know. That's what you ALWAYS say. When is it going to end? Having a baby doesn't take up every minute of your life!"

"No, but being kicked out of your house, having to pack, and finding a place to live DOES take up a lot of time."

"What do you even mean?"

"Her parents kicked her out. We live at Hogwarts for most of the year anyway so we both packed up pur stuff and my mum helped us rent a place to live in Hogsmeade. Cassia told her yourself she was afraid she'd have to drop out. This way neither of us have to. She's due the end of February and next years my last year. Until I finish we'll take turns being home with the baby then it'll just be me while she finishes her last year. I'll be 17 in a few days and I'll be able to apparate and preform magic. It actually works out really well for us."

"So you really are living here then? No more Cokeworth?"

"Nope, this is our home now. If you want to come over with us after class you can. I was going to help her study for her OWLS and we can start studying for our NEWTS next year if you want.

"I would like that."

"Alright well meet us here after class and we can study for a few hours before dinner."

They had their last class together, Potions. Neither Cassia or Severus showed up and Lily was worried. When the bell chimed she was the first one out the door and she waited by the tree like they had agreed. From a distance she could see Severus walking towards her from the direction of Hogsmeade.

"How come you weren't in class?" She asked immediately.

"I took Cassia home the period before and stayed with her. She wasn't feeling good."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"She'll be okay, just needed to lay down. Come on, come check out our new house." He said with a smile. Lily could tell he was proud.

The small house was at the very end of Hogsmeade, far from all the shops. It was a run down little shack that was in need of many repairs. The inside looked completely different. It was in good condition and had clearly been fixed by magic. It was almost completely empty inside except for a few small chairs that Lily guessed had been conjured. The living room and kitchen were one room. In the back was what Lily guessed to be a bedroom and bathroom.

"It'll just be us for now. I gave her a potion and she's in bed sleeping."

Inside Lily smiled. She missed having Sev to herself. Lily helped Severus more than he helped her. He'd been falling behind this year in nearly everything. She didn't have to offer much help as he was no longer taking the classes he was bad at or hadn't enjoyed. His biggest problem had been a lack of focus and Lily helped steer him in the right direction. When they were finished with homework Severus dug out a deck of muggle cards and the two of them played games like they had as kids. Lily had been there about three hours when she heard the bedroom door creak open. Cassia stepped out wearing nothing but a muggle robe. Lily was the first thing she saw.

"Oh…I'm sorry, I forgot you were coming."

"Don't worry about it. You're comfortable and covered so I'm fine."

Cassia eased herself into one of the chairs.

"Hey sleepy head, how are you feeling?" Severus asked her.

"A little better." She gave a small smile.

"Can I get you anything?"

"Actually can you grab me a snack?

"Sure thing, Lily?

"Oh, no I'm okay thank you."

Severus retrieved an apple from the Fridge and gave it to Cassia.

"Do you want to play with us?" Lily asked.

Cassia shook her head as she took a bite and the other two finished their game. At 6:20 they left to go to dinner.

The next Wednesday Lily was awoken early n the morning by a head girl.

"What's wrong? Lily mumbled.

"Professor Slughorn wants you, hurry."

Lily didn't bother changing out of her Pajamas before leaving the room to meet the head of her house. Slughorn was waiting in the common room still wearing a nightcap and pajamas.

"Sir? What's wrong?"

"Your friend, Severus, has requested you join him in the hospital wing."

"The hospital wing? What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid none of us know yet."


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning.  
> This chapter is VERY short on purpose. Some sensitive topics will be discussed. For those of you who wish to not read about pregnancy complications, this chapter can be skipped.

Lily arrived to find Cassia moaning in pain and clutching her belly. A terrified Severus was hovering over her.

"Severus! What happened!?" Lily asked

"I don't know! She woke me up, said something was wrong and we rushed over here. St. Mungos is on their way now. Lily, I'm so scared." He gave her a trembling hug.

Lily hugged him back before walking over to the other side of the bed to sit on the other side of Cassia. She brushed her sweaty hair out of her crying face and tried to comfort her. This couldn't be happening now, it wasn't time yet. Several nurses came running into the hospital wing. Apparition was the safest thing for Cassia right now. They'd apparated into Hogsmeade and ran into the castle. One of the nurses conjured up a stretcher and had another nurse help her move Cassia. They hurried outside with her leaving one nurse behind.

"Mr. Snape, you'll be apparating with me, they're going to be bringing your girlfriend right into delivery. Miss? Are you coming as well?" The last question was directed at Lily. She glanced at Severus who nodded his head quickly.

"Yes, I am."

"Great, we need to hurry." The three of them left the building and apparated as soon as they could. Severus was taken into the delivery room with Cassia as Lily anxiously waited outside. The wait felt like hours before she heard any news. Severus came back into the waiting room with tears running down his cheeks.

"Sev! How is she? What happened? How's the baby?"

"The baby's fine, they sent her to the NICU. Cassia is very sick. They don't know if she'll make it." Severus cried harder as the last words left his mouth. Lily pulled him into an embrace and let him cry on her shoulder. She felt tears running down her cheeks too. The fireplace across the room came to life with green flames. Eileen, Tobias, and Cassia's Parents stepped through looking frantic. Severus' parents came over to comfort their son while a nurse updated Cassia's parents. Her mother clapped a hand to her mouth and began to cry. Lily sat there unsure of what to do. She left to find the cafeteria and brought them all some much needed coffee. When Cassia was situated they were allowed to go in and see her. She lay in the bed motionless and unconscious. She didn't wake until late that night.

"My baby! Where's my baby!?" She cried out which only brought more tears to Severus' eyes as he explained what happened. When Cassia was strong enough they wheeled her to the NICU where they got to see and hold their baby for the first time. She was so tiny and pink. Her head was covered in thick, black hair.

"Hello, Octavia." Whispered Cassia to her new baby. They stayed there for as long as they were allowed and as long as Cassia could bear it. The small trip had exhausted her and she fell asleep before they arrived back in the room. Severus kissed her goodnight "I love you, Cassia" he whispered before falling asleep on the bed that had been conjured for him.

He was awoken in the middle of the night to hurried voices. He blinked his eyes open to see nurses and doctors frantically working over Cassia. It was all done in vain. She would never wake up again. Severus clung to her body and cried harder than he ever thought possible. Yesterday everything had been fine and now the love of his life and mother of his child was gone.


	30. Chapter 30

Severus sat inside the home he was supposed to share with Cassia. He was dumb struck. He didn't understand what had gone wrong. It had all happened so fast and then it was just over. They'd made so many plans for their future together. He was going to propose and they'd get married and in an instant it all disappeared. Cassia was dead. He'd have to care for Octavia by himself. She was still so little and unprepared for this world. He couldn't do this. The house was too quiet. It was no longer filled with Cassia's laughter and it never would be again. They didn't have a crib or anything for the baby yet and now he had to worry about a funeral too. He forced himself up he had to get out of this house. It was filled with her things and they'd already made so many memories here. He felt like all of it had been a dream, like she'd never even existed at all. Severus dressed quickly to go to the hospital and see his daughter. He was all she had left and he needed to be there for her.

He sat in the tiny room filled with beeping monitors. If anything changed the medinurse would know instantly. She was hooked up to so many things. He had to deal with a jumble of cords just to hold her. Severus snuggled her close for as long as he was allowed. He stayed there all day. If he wasn't holding her he was watching her. He had nothing and no one to go home to, this was his family now. He slept in the chair that night, afraid to leave in case something happened to her too. He left only to eat. The first time he left the hospital wasn't until a few days later. He kissed her goodbye and returned home. Octavia wouldn't even be able to attend her own mum's funeral. Severus dressed in all black like usual except today was different. Today they'd be burying the love of his life. He'd never even gotten to say goodbye. The last words shed ever said to him were "She's beautiful Rus." Before she fell asleep for the final time.

Today was a week exactly from the day she died. It would be the first time he'd see someone other than the St. Mungo's staff and Octavia. He'd refused any visitors and wouldn't open the door to anyone. He could legally preform magic now and had cast his own wards on the house that only he could get through. In the kitchen were several unopened letters from Lily. She'd tried to contact him everyday but he had ignored even her. He needed time to be alone and to grieve.

He pulled his long hair into a low ponytail. He rarely wore it that way but it was something Cassia had always liked. He work a black muggle suit. She'd been muggleborn and would be buried in a muggle cemetery near her grandparents. It was going to be a small ceremony of only his and her families and Lily. He heard the unmistakable pop of an apparition outside his door. He exited to find his mum waiting for him to take him to the funeral. They wordlessly disapparated to Cassia's old church. The parking lot was empty. They were the first ones there. Not even her parents had arrived yet. Eileen unlocked the door and they walked in. She stayed back while Severus walked over to the casket. He leaned over her body and cried for the first time since she had died. The door creaked open, her parents had arrived. They were both a mess. Severus wondered if they had ever stopped crying. He kissed her cold forehead and stepped away to let her parents have their time with her. Tobias was the next to arrive with Lily. She hugged him a little too tight and a little too long but he loved it just the same.

"I'm so sorry, Sev."

He just nodded his head. The six of them were there, he didn't understand why they weren't starting when through the doors filtered Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Flitwick, and what he assumed to be nearly all of the Hogwart's student body (besides the Slytherins of course). He saw the Marauders, the roommates of Severus and Cassia, and the rest of Ravenclaw house. Behind them came muggles that had known Cassia before her Hogwarts days. The attendees filled the chapel of the church. Severus was overwhelmed at how many people had shown up for her, shown up for them. They spoke of how loved she had been and what a nice person she was. The Headmaster spoke of what a bright young student she had been and how she had always treated others with respect. She had had a bright future ahead of her but she had left behind a beautiful legacy, Octavia Cassia Snape. She was buried in a beautiful area under a large willow tree surrounded by her loved ones. Severus learned after that classes had been cancelled that day for the funeral. The other teachers had wished they could come but they'd stsyed behind to watch after the other students.

Octavia came home from the hospital a few weeks later. She had grown so much in her time there but was still a tiny 4 lb baby. During that time Severus had learned and gotten his license to apparate, along with Lily and several other students. He sold the small house he'd lived in for such a short time and returned to his parent's home in Cokeworth with his daughter. He apparated to Hogsmeade every morning to attend Hogwarts and apparated home after class every night. During the time he was in school Eileen would watch over the baby. Some nights Severus would bring Lily home with him and they would study together.

Their friendship had been quiet. The whole experience had prematurely aged Severus and for a while they didn't know what to talk about. Over the next few months it evolved into more. They were both of legal age in the wizarding world and could do as they pleased. Lily spent most of that summer with Severus. He had been so destroyed by losing Cassia that he clung to Lily harder than ever. They were inseparable now that they had no one but each other. Lily had always loved babies and enjoyed helping Severus take care of Octavia.

On September 1st, 1977 they returned for their last year of Hogwarts. Severus chose to ride the train and spend more time with Lily even though he'd be apparating home that evening. He kissed his almost 9 month old daughter goodbye and promised he'd return that night. She'd smiled up at him in a way that Cassia had used to and it made him miss her all over again. He couldn't believe she'd already been gone that long. She was missing out on so much.

Both Lily and Severus had decided to join the Order of Phoenix after they had graduated. They were going to fight in secret as healers. Severus was all Octavia had left. He didn't want to fight and have her lose him too. This way they could fight for the war without being in as much danger. Many of the Hogwarts students were joining the war after graduation, some were to be on Voldemort's side and others to be on Dumbledore's. Very few people chose to stay out of it entirely.

Severus and Lily were ready for Hogwarts to end so that they could start living their life. They discussed their future during the train ride to Hogwarts. They'd been friends for so many years now and they hoped to remain that way. Lily still had strong feelings for Severus but she knew he was still grieving and hadn't tried to act on them. She hoped one day when he was ready Severus could be hers again.


	31. Chapter 31

That December everything changed for them. Lily had once again apparated home with Severus but instead of arriving in front of the Cokeworth Cottage they had landed in the park they used to visit as children. It was covered in a quiet, undisturbed blanket of snow.

"Severus, what are you doing?"

"Lily, if you'll have me, I'd like another chance with you."

"Oh, Sev, I've been waiting for those words forever." She beamed up at him

Severus pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her like he had done so many years before. The kiss left her breathless. She had wanted this for so long. There had been other guys but they never felt right. With Severus everything was perfect.

"Lets start where we left off." She sighed

Severus lifted her into his arms, his hands and arms supporting her butt and her legs wrapped around his waist. They kissed like that for several minutes. Lily wanted him and she wanted him now. She could tell by the bulge in his pants he felt the same way too but they'd have to wait. He needed to get home. She lowered herself back to the ground and they walked to his home hand in hand. They let go before entering the house. For now this was their secret.

Octavia was 11 months old now. She crawled along the floor picking up and drooling on everything she could. Severus picked up the young girl and held her tight.

"I missed you today." He told her. She smiled at him and replied with a nonsense response. Severus put her back down. She crawled her way over to Lily and demanded she be held to which Lily happily obliged.

"Severus, your father will be at work late today. I need to go run some errands now that you're home. Ill be back in a few hours" Eileen called from the other room. She waved goodbye to the three of them and left. Octavia sat on the floor rubbing her tired eyes. Severus picked her up and carried her to her bedroom, what used to be the guest room. He kissed her goodnight and put her down for a nap. He closed the door on his way out.

"Now, where were we?" He said with a devious smile.

"I believe you were going to show me to your room."

"That's right, I was." He picked her up the same way as earlier and carried her upstairs. He lay on top of her on his bed and they began making out. As they kissed Lily unbuttoned his shirt and slid her hands inside. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer. They kissed for several more minutes before he sat up and began undressing her. Lily had grown into a very beautiful, curvy woman. He finished taking off her shirt and ran his hands up and down her sides, feeling every part of her. As she undid his pants he slipped off her bra with ease. They switched positions so that her naked body was on top of him. He admired her beauty. She had a perfectly round butt, thin, long legs and big breasts. She had a flat stomach and toned arms. She leaned over him and her long red hair tickled his face. He began playing with her nipples. They stayed like this for some time until she was more than ready and begging him to slip inside. It was the first time for her. Severus had clearly had plenty of practice and paid attention to her every need, trying to make this as enjoyable for her as possible. She watched him as they had sex. He was no longer the young skinny boy he had been before. He had strong muscular arms and a defined chest. Underneath those depressing black clothes he hid his physique. Lily had no idea he'd been in such good shape. Severus allowed her to finish first before he took his turn. When they were done he laid next to her on the bed staring into those bright green eyes. He ran his fingers through her hair as she stared back at him and smiled. It had been worth the wait. They lay together in naked silence until they began to hear the cries of Octavia, she was awake. Severus stood up and Lily admired him again as he slipped on some sweats and an old T shirt. He went downstairs to fetch his daughter. Lily rummaged through his drawers and found another pair of sweats. They were much too big for her but she wore them anyway. She also stole one of his shirts and put it on. She went down to find Severus on the couch feeding Octavia a bottle. Lily sat next to him on the couch and curled up into him. He put his free arm around her.

"That was nice" she said.

"It was" Sev kissed her again. "I've missed you so much. Why didn't we do this sooner?"

"I gladly would have years ago. I've been waiting for you to get on board."

Lily cuddled on the couch and watched Octavia play on the floor while Severus cooked them dinner. Being a potions master also meant you were a great cook. They really weren't that different after all. They ate dinner together the three of them before Lily decided she should go. She changed back into her own clothes and kissed him goodbye before leaving.

They had picked up right where they left off. All those old feelings were there. They had only grown over time. They went on many dates over the next couple months and hopped into bed together whenever they could. The three of them, Severus, Octavia, and Lily all had January birthdays and they spent all three together. May approached. They studied together, sometimes their books and sometimes each other. Their NEWTS would be coming up in a few weeks. A few days before their time at Hogwarts ended, Severus took Lily out on a date. He had prepared a picnic of all of her favorite foods and took her to a beautiful London park to eat. They joked around and kissed and had fun together until it was time to go home. Lily stood up to leave and turned around to find Severus down on one knee.

"Lily, I have loved you since the day I met you. You are the most amazing person I know. You've always been there for me and now you're there for Octavia. Lily, will you marry me?"

"Oh my gosh, Yes! Yes!"

He stood up and hugged her tightly and gave her a soft kiss.

"I love you too, Severus." She smiled.

Their parents were ecstatic for them. They were perfect for each other.

They were married on September 21st, 1978. That was the anniversary of that fatefully day by the river when they'd first truly met. It was a small ceremony with only family and a few friends. They didn't know who they could trust anymore with so many people turning out to be Deatheaters. They moved in together the day they were married. Healing and protection potions were in demand right now. They were able to make quite a living off of brewing in their spare time and had been able to save quite a bit. They spent their money on a small country house in Lumshire. It was in the middle of a beautiful countryside near the Celtic sea. It was a house that no one knew the location of other than their parents and Petunia. No one knew the small house existed. It was the perfect place for them to hide incase trouble came knocking. The house was scarce of furniture. They had a small table and chairs in the kitchen and an empty living room. The house had three bedrooms, one for them with a bed and a dresser, one for Octavia with her belongings, and one was filled with their potion supplies. The first thing they did at their new home was protect themselves. They cast multiple wards around their property and as one final measure, they enlisted Eileen to be their Secret keeper. They had a daughter to protect and they were going to try their best to keep her safe.

Octavia was 20 months old now. She walked and climbed non stop. She spoke a few words and sentences. As she had grown up Lily had always been there. Octavia grew up believing that Lily was her mum, now technically she was. Above her crib they kept a picture of Cassia and tried to keep the memory of her alive for the little girl who never had a chance to be meet her. Lily and Severus put her to bed late that night before going to their own room to consummate their marriage. There would be no time for a honeymoon. It was too dangerous and they were apart of the war effort. They didn't mind, they were just happy to be together and to live together at last. It had been an exhausting day for both of them and they fell asleep as soon as they were done. Tomorrow their life as a family would begin.


	32. Chapter 32

They had been married for a week and had stayed holed up inside together. It was time to return to the real world. Tonight they were to be initiated into the Order of Phoenix. The organization had started in 1970, before they were even at Hogwarts. It had been founded by Albus Dumbledore and grown quite considerably since the early 70s. They were to meet at an undisclosed location at 5 pm that night. Lily apparated from their home shortly before five to pick up her mother. Virginia would be their babysitter for the night. Although Octavia wasn't biologically Lily's child, she was through marriage and in the same right she was now Virginia's grandchild. Virginia, Eileen and Tobias, and Cassia's parents, Robert and Anise Hutchings, took turns babysitting when it was needed. Lily apparated back to her own home with Virginia and showed her around their small but charming place.

"Lily? Can I speak to you for a moment please?" Severus called from the bedroom.

"Sure, I'll be right there." She left Octavia with Virginia and went to the room. "What's the matter?"

"Lily, you know I love your mother but I'm concerned about leaving my-our daughter with her. What if Deatheaters come to the house? How will your mother protect Ava?"

"I know, I've been thinking about it too. I thought about buying her a gun. If anyone ever did show up at least she would have something. The Deatheaters would never suspect it. I doubt many of them even know guns exist. They don't bother to learn about muggles."

"It may not be a bad idea. My dad has one, he used to take me out shooting occasionally as a kid. I know a few things I could teach her."

Lily nodded. "Ill talk to her about it tonight. We should probably mention it to the Hutchings too."

"Alright, I'll see if I can get ahold of them tomorrow. Are you ready?"

"Yes, are you?"

"Just need my shoes, I'll be out in a minute."

Lily nodded her head and walked back into the sparse living room.

"You guys could really use some furniture around this place."

"I know, mum, we're working on it."

"I still have a few things hanging around from when you girls lived with us, would you be interested?"

"Oh absolutely, I'll talk to you about it later. Remember, her bed time is 8 o'clock and she has some dinner in the fridge."

"Of course."

"Goodnight darling." Lily picked up the squirming child and kissed her on the cheek. "Sev! Come on, we need to go!"

"I'm coming" he said as he exited the bedroom. He gave his daughter a kiss. "I love you, be good for grandma."

"No." Octavia said before running off towards her room.

"Don't worry, its her favorite word right now. No also means yes in her world."

"We'll be fine, you too have fun." Virginia shooed them out the door.

"Fun?" Severus said after the door was closed. "Did you not tell her we were joining the Order?"

"No, she'll just worry too much. Besides, the less she knows the better."

"You're right." He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. Inside was an address to a place in Dartmoor which disappeared once he finished reading it. He grabbed Lily's wrist and together they disapparated. They arrived in front of a large mansion.

"Well this isn't very inconspicuous" Severus mumbled. Lily knocked on the door which was opened by an aging, rather large man. "Elphias Doge, you must be the Snapes." Severus nodded. Lily smiled at the mention of being a Snape. "What was the word Albus Dumbledore mentioned to you last week?" Elphias asked.

"Caramel" Severus replied

"Correct." The other man beamed "that man and his sweets" he sighed as he let the new comers in.

The other dozen or so members in attendance were seated around a table. They recognized Alice and Frank Longbottom, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter from Hogwarts but the rest of them were unknown. James introduced his new wife, Catherine. They were also newlyweds. They'd met after James had graduated and had gotten married only a two months after. Everyone was in a hurry to get married. They all felt as though life was crashing around them. Alice and Frank had dated throughout their school days and had been engaged before Graduation like Severus and Lily.

They mingled with the other members while they waited for Dumbledore to arrive. They were introduced to the Prewett brothers, Benjy Fenwick, Alastor moody and several others. There were 19 people in total that were apart of the order but only 15 of them were there tonight. Dumbledore arrived and they began the first order of business, introducing the new members. Severus and Lily weren't the only new members, pressured by his friends, Peter had decided to join too. The three of them were sworn to secrecy about the meetings. The events discussed during the official meetings were not allowed to be talked about outside of the meetings or with people who weren't members unless they were instructed. At the moment Voldemort was laying low, hoping people would think his reign of terror was over. The members of the Order were told to find recruits and to stay safe. They were given a list of the current known deatheaters to know who to avoid. Lily's heart sank when she recognized nearly every name on the list. She had been friends with so many of them. For the millionth time she was thankful that Severus had dragged her out of that hole.

Severus and Lily had different orders. Dumbledore asked them to brew potions to have on hand. At their request, no one was supposed to know they were part of the order or helping any part of the war. To protect them they weren't going to be involved with recruiting either. The meeting was short. Afterwards snacks and refreshments were served and they stayed to talk with the other members. James was the first to come up to them.

"I noticed the rings, how long have you two been married now?"

"Only a week. We've tried to keep it as hidden as possible. What about you and Catherine?" Lily replied

"A little less than a month. We just got back from our honeymoon in Italy A week ago." James waved to his wife on the other side of the room. "We joined on our first night back so were pretty new too."

"What about the others?" Severus asked

"Well, the ones you don't know have been here for quite a few years. Remus and Sirius joined on Graduation night, Alice and Frank came about a month later. None of us have really done anything yet. Its hard where all the Deatheaters have gone into hiding. Dumbledore's afraid they're planning something big. We just have to bide our time and wait."

"Well, we'll get started on those potions right away. We never know when we'll need them. If you'd excuse me I actually need to go speak with Dumbledore for a moment." Severus excused himself and left James and Lily to talk.

"Headmaster? Can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Oh please, Severus, call me Albus now."

"Right, Albus, I had some things to discuss. Next week Lily's starting an Internship to be a mediwitch at St. Mungo's. I'll be staying home and want to start some research on some new potions. I have a few in mind that I think could be of good use to us."

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Severus, you both will be invaluable to the war effort. I'd like to speak to you another time about those potions and see if I can be of any help."

Severus slipped Dumbledore a piece of paper with their address on it. "Feel free to stop by whenever. We'll be waiting for you."

"Thank you, Severus." Dumbledore replied with a warm smile.

Severus walked back to Lily and placed his hand on the small of her back. "I hate to interrupt but I'm afraid we need to get home, James."

"Right, of course. It was nice to see you again."

Severus and Lily bid their farewell and apparated back to their home. It was 8:30, Octavia would already be in bed. They unlocked the door to find Virginia washing dishes.

"Mum, you didn't have to do that." Lily told her

"It's fine, really. You guys need something to do around here."

"There are some books in our room but I'm afraid they wouldn't interest you."

"That's alright, my hands were full with that little one." She gestured to the bedroom.

"She was that troublesome huh?"

"No, just a typical toddler."

"Thank you for watching her for us."

"You know I'm always happy to. Where did you guys go anyway?"

Lily glanced at Severus "Just out with some friends from school."

"You mean you two had friends other than each other?"

"It depended on the year" Severus piped up.

"Oh yes, Severus, I know you were plenty friendly while at Hogwarts." She glanced at Octavia's door and Severus blushed. "and you got a beautiful little girl out of it." Virginia added. "Well I need to get going. I promised Petunia I'd go to lunch with her tomorrow." Virginia paused. "Would you like to come with us, Lily?"

Lily jumped at the idea. It had been too long since she'd spent some quality time with her sister. "I would love that. Ill meet you at the house tomorrow." Lily left the house and apparated her mother home. A second later another pop signaled that she was back.

"My mother is right you know, we do need something around here to do."

Severus hoisted her into his arms. "Why? I've got my favorite thing right here." He said with a devilish grin and carried her to the bedroom.

Lily left around 11 the next morning and didn't return until late that afternoon. She walked inside carrying a small box.

"What's that?" Severus asked with a frown.

Lily placed the box on the floor and removed some miniature sized items which she resized with her wand. "My mum gave us some old stuff she had lying around. She doesn't use the mother in law apartment anymore. My grandparents are slowly going downhill and she stays in the main house to take care of them. Luckily for us, that means furniture."

"You'll have to thank her for me. How was lunch with Tuney?"

Lily sighed. "She's having a hard time, she had another miscarriage."

"Again? That's too bad."

"Yeah, she was pretty upset about it. I guess that's why she didn't make it to the wedding."

"Well, we'll have to go visit her soon."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. Vernon's….not a very good person. He doesn't like people like us."

"Oh come on, I know how to act like a muggle."

"Act like one all you want, it won't matter unless you get a haircut. We both know that's not happening."

"You know me so well." He smiled. "Maybe we can invite her here, I can ask Anise if they'll watch Aa."

"Speaking of Anise, did you call them today about the gun?"

"I did, it wasn't their favorite idea but they understand why its necessary. Did you get a chance to ask your mum?"

Lily sat on the newly enlarged couch. "Yes, I forgot last night. She feels the same way. She'd like it if you could show her how to use one."

"I guess we have some shopping to do."

"I guess so."

Sev had been in the kitchen preparing dinner during the conversation. He turned back to the lamb chops when Lily spoke up again.

"Sev…" She bit her lip, afraid of her own question.

"Yes, babe?"

"I love Octavia, you know I do but I was wondering…when are we going to have one of our own together?"

"Lily Snape. We have been married a week and you're already asking about babies?"

Lily blushed and Severus sighed before he continued. "I don't know, I don't know if I can go through that again. What if I lose you too?"

Severus still had bouts of grief over the death of Cassia. He couldn't imagine losing Lily and it was hard enough being a single parent to one child, he'd go crazy if he had to do it to two.

"But maybe now's the time. Voldemort's taking a break, people are feeling safer. Sev, I know you're scared but I'm not her. What if everything DOES turn out to be fine?"

"and what if it doesn't? Then I have to worry about two children by myself AND worry about being on the run from Lord Voldemort. You know he's not gone, we're just in the calm before the storm."

"…so that's a no?"

He leaned against the counter and put his face in his hands. "You don't know what I went through when I lost her, when I almost lost them both. I almost lost myself too. Octavia was the only one who kept me alive during that time."

"Sev…"

"No, you don't get it. You don't know what it's like. I…I loved her so much. I didn't even get to say goodbye. I never got to hear her say 'I Love You' again and neither did her daughter. I still think about her everyday. I still hear the voices of the mediwitches trying to safe her life, I still-… did you know I can't even stand certain smells anymore? They remind me too much of her and what I lost. I look into Octavia's blue eyes and they are just like her mother's. The way she looks at me sometimes just makes it all come crashing down again.

"I had no idea you felt that way. You've never talked to me about it before. You avoided me for a while after her death and even when you came back we never talked about it. I didn't know you were still hurting this much. I'm sorry I asked."

He walked over and sat down next to her. "Lily, you don't get to be sorry for the mistakes I made. I made so many, with you, with Cassia. But I'm trying to fix them. I'd love to give you a baby but right now I just don't know if I can and I'm sorry. I'll think about it. It would be nice for her to have a brother or sister. She's almost two and she's never even seen another baby."

Lily kissed him "I appreciate you opening up to me about all this."

Severus was quiet for most of the night. He'd never talked about what he went through with anyone and now he was reliving all of it, the good times he'd had with Cassia, the urgency in her voice when she told him something was wrong, when they said she might not make it, and then of course when she didn't. He tried to keep it locked away but it was something even he couldn't hide with occlumency. He felt like life was finally in a good place now. He wasn't ready to destroy it. He wasn't ready to face the possibility of what might happen to Lily and the potential baby. That night a voice in his head whispered l ife can be taken away at any moment. He didn't need a baby to lose Lily. There was a madman out there who was taking wives, mothers, sisters, husbands, brothers, dads, children, away from their families. He could lose both Lily and Octavia at any time. No where was safe, it hadn't been for years but life didn't stop for Voldemort. He wouldn't let that happen.


	33. Chapter 33

They had been married for a week and had stayed holed up inside together. It was time to return to the real world. Tonight they were to be initiated into the Order of Phoenix. The organization had started in 1970, before they were even at Hogwarts. It had been founded by Albus Dumbledore and grown quite considerably since the early 70s. They were to meet at an undisclosed location at 5 pm that night. Lily apparated from their home shortly before five to pick up her mother. Virginia would be their babysitter for the night. Although Octavia wasn't biologically Lily's child, she was through marriage and in the same right she was now Virginia's grandchild. Virginia, Eileen and Tobias, and Cassia's parents, Robert and Anise Hutchings, took turns babysitting when it was needed. Lily apparated back to her own home with Virginia and showed her around their small but charming place.

"Lily? Can I speak to you for a moment please?" Severus called from the bedroom.

"Sure, I'll be right there." She left Octavia with Virginia and went to the room. "What's the matter?"

"Lily, you know I love your mother but I'm concerned about leaving my-our daughter with her. What if Deatheaters come to the house? How will your mother protect Ava?"

"I know, I've been thinking about it too. I thought about buying her a gun. If anyone ever did show up at least she would have something. The Deatheaters would never suspect it. I doubt many of them even know guns exist. They don't bother to learn about muggles."

"It may not be a bad idea. My dad has one, he used to take me out shooting occasionally as a kid. I know a few things I could teach her."

Lily nodded. "Ill talk to her about it tonight. We should probably mention it to the Hutchings too."

"Alright, I'll see if I can get ahold of them tomorrow. Are you ready?"

"Yes, are you?"

"Just need my shoes, I'll be out in a minute."

Lily nodded her head and walked back into the sparse living room.

"You guys could really use some furniture around this place."

"I know, mum, we're working on it."

"I still have a few things hanging around from when you girls lived with us, would you be interested?"

"Oh absolutely, I'll talk to you about it later. Remember, her bed time is 8 o'clock and she has some dinner in the fridge."

"Of course."

"Goodnight darling." Lily picked up the squirming child and kissed her on the cheek. "Sev! Come on, we need to go!"

"I'm coming" he said as he exited the bedroom. He gave his daughter a kiss. "I love you, be good for grandma."

"No." Octavia said before running off towards her room.

"Don't worry, its her favorite word right now. No also means yes in her world."

"We'll be fine, you too have fun." Virginia shooed them out the door.

"Fun?" Severus said after the door was closed. "Did you not tell her we were joining the Order?"

"No, she'll just worry too much. Besides, the less she knows the better."

"You're right." He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. Inside was an address to a place in Dartmoor which disappeared once he finished reading it. He grabbed Lily's wrist and together they disapparated. They arrived in front of a large mansion.

"Well this isn't very inconspicuous" Severus mumbled. Lily knocked on the door which was opened by an aging, rather large man. "Elphias Doge, you must be the Snapes." Severus nodded. Lily smiled at the mention of being a Snape. "What was the word Albus Dumbledore mentioned to you last week?" Elphias asked.

"Caramel" Severus replied

"Correct." The other man beamed "that man and his sweets" he sighed as he let the new comers in.

The other dozen or so members in attendance were seated around a table. They recognized Alice and Frank Longbottom, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter from Hogwarts but the rest of them were unknown. James introduced his new wife, Catherine. They were also newlyweds. They'd met after James had graduated and had gotten married only a two months after. Everyone was in a hurry to get married. They all felt as though life was crashing around them. Alice and Frank had dated throughout their school days and had been engaged before Graduation like Severus and Lily.

They mingled with the other members while they waited for Dumbledore to arrive. They were introduced to the Prewett brothers, Benjy Fenwick, Alastor moody and several others. There were 19 people in total that were apart of the order but only 15 of them were there tonight. Dumbledore arrived and they began the first order of business, introducing the new members. Severus and Lily weren't the only new members, pressured by his friends, Peter had decided to join too. The three of them were sworn to secrecy about the meetings. The events discussed during the official meetings were not allowed to be talked about outside of the meetings or with people who weren't members unless they were instructed. At the moment Voldemort was laying low, hoping people would think his reign of terror was over. The members of the Order were told to find recruits and to stay safe. They were given a list of the current known deatheaters to know who to avoid. Lily's heart sank when she recognized nearly every name on the list. She had been friends with so many of them. For the millionth time she was thankful that Severus had dragged her out of that hole.

Severus and Lily had different orders. Dumbledore asked them to brew potions to have on hand. At their request, no one was supposed to know they were part of the order or helping any part of the war. To protect them they weren't going to be involved with recruiting either. The meeting was short. Afterwards snacks and refreshments were served and they stayed to talk with the other members. James was the first to come up to them.

"I noticed the rings, how long have you two been married now?"

"Only a week. We've tried to keep it as hidden as possible. What about you and Catherine?" Lily replied

"A little less than a month. We just got back from our honeymoon in Italy A week ago." James waved to his wife on the other side of the room. "We joined on our first night back so were pretty new too."

"What about the others?" Severus asked

"Well, the ones you don't know have been here for quite a few years. Remus and Sirius joined on Graduation night, Alice and Frank came about a month later. None of us have really done anything yet. Its hard where all the Deatheaters have gone into hiding. Dumbledore's afraid they're planning something big. We just have to bide our time and wait."

"Well, we'll get started on those potions right away. We never know when we'll need them. If you'd excuse me I actually need to go speak with Dumbledore for a moment." Severus excused himself and left James and Lily to talk.

"Headmaster? Can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Oh please, Severus, call me Albus now."

"Right, Albus, I had some things to discuss. Next week Lily's starting an Internship to be a mediwitch at St. Mungo's. I'll be staying home and want to start some research on some new potions. I have a few in mind that I think could be of good use to us."

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Severus, you both will be invaluable to the war effort. I'd like to speak to you another time about those potions and see if I can be of any help."

Severus slipped Dumbledore a piece of paper with their address on it. "Feel free to stop by whenever. We'll be waiting for you."

"Thank you, Severus." Dumbledore replied with a warm smile.

Severus walked back to Lily and placed his hand on the small of her back. "I hate to interrupt but I'm afraid we need to get home, James."

"Right, of course. It was nice to see you again."

Severus and Lily bid their farewell and apparated back to their home. It was 8:30, Octavia would already be in bed. They unlocked the door to find Virginia washing dishes.

"Mum, you didn't have to do that." Lily told her

"It's fine, really. You guys need something to do around here."

"There are some books in our room but I'm afraid they wouldn't interest you."

"That's alright, my hands were full with that little one." She gestured to the bedroom.

"She was that troublesome huh?"

"No, just a typical toddler."

"Thank you for watching her for us."

"You know I'm always happy to. Where did you guys go anyway?"

Lily glanced at Severus "Just out with some friends from school."

"You mean you two had friends other than each other?"

"It depended on the year" Severus piped up.

"Oh yes, Severus, I know you were plenty friendly while at Hogwarts." She glanced at Octavia's door and Severus blushed. "and you got a beautiful little girl out of it." Virginia added. "Well I need to get going. I promised Petunia I'd go to lunch with her tomorrow." Virginia paused. "Would you like to come with us, Lily?"

Lily jumped at the idea. It had been too long since she'd spent some quality time with her sister. "I would love that. Ill meet you at the house tomorrow." Lily left the house and apparated her mother home. A second later another pop signaled that she was back.

"My mother is right you know, we do need something around here to do."

Severus hoisted her into his arms. "Why? I've got my favorite thing right here." He said with a devilish grin and carried her to the bedroom.

Lily left around 11 the next morning and didn't return until late that afternoon. She walked inside carrying a small box.

"What's that?" Severus asked with a frown.

Lily placed the box on the floor and removed some miniature sized items which she resized with her wand. "My mum gave us some old stuff she had lying around. She doesn't use the mother in law apartment anymore. My grandparents are slowly going downhill and she stays in the main house to take care of them. Luckily for us, that means furniture."

"You'll have to thank her for me. How was lunch with Tuney?"

Lily sighed. "She's having a hard time, she had another miscarriage."

"Again? That's too bad."

"Yeah, she was pretty upset about it. I guess that's why she didn't make it to the wedding."

"Well, we'll have to go visit her soon."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. Vernon's….not a very good person. He doesn't like people like us."

"Oh come on, I know how to act like a muggle."

"Act like one all you want, it won't matter unless you get a haircut. We both know that's not happening."

"You know me so well." He smiled. "Maybe we can invite her here, I can ask Anise if they'll watch Aa."

"Speaking of Anise, did you call them today about the gun?"

"I did, it wasn't their favorite idea but they understand why its necessary. Did you get a chance to ask your mum?"

Lily sat on the newly enlarged couch. "Yes, I forgot last night. She feels the same way. She'd like it if you could show her how to use one."

"I guess we have some shopping to do."

"I guess so."

Sev had been in the kitchen preparing dinner during the conversation. He turned back to the lamb chops when Lily spoke up again.

"Sev…" She bit her lip, afraid of her own question.

"Yes, babe?"

"I love Octavia, you know I do but I was wondering…when are we going to have one of our own together?"

"Lily Snape. We have been married a week and you're already asking about babies?"

Lily blushed and Severus sighed before he continued. "I don't know, I don't know if I can go through that again. What if I lose you too?"

Severus still had bouts of grief over the death of Cassia. He couldn't imagine losing Lily and it was hard enough being a single parent to one child, he'd go crazy if he had to do it to two.

"But maybe now's the time. Voldemort's taking a break, people are feeling safer. Sev, I know you're scared but I'm not her. What if everything DOES turn out to be fine?"

"and what if it doesn't? Then I have to worry about two children by myself AND worry about being on the run from Lord Voldemort. You know he's not gone, we're just in the calm before the storm."

"…so that's a no?"

He leaned against the counter and put his face in his hands. "You don't know what I went through when I lost her, when I almost lost them both. I almost lost myself too. Octavia was the only one who kept me alive during that time."

"Sev…"

"No, you don't get it. You don't know what it's like. I…I loved her so much. I didn't even get to say goodbye. I never got to hear her say 'I Love You' again and neither did her daughter. I still think about her everyday. I still hear the voices of the mediwitches trying to safe her life, I still-… did you know I can't even stand certain smells anymore? They remind me too much of her and what I lost. I look into Octavia's blue eyes and they are just like her mother's. The way she looks at me sometimes just makes it all come crashing down again.

"I had no idea you felt that way. You've never talked to me about it before. You avoided me for a while after her death and even when you came back we never talked about it. I didn't know you were still hurting this much. I'm sorry I asked."

He walked over and sat down next to her. "Lily, you don't get to be sorry for the mistakes I made. I made so many, with you, with Cassia. But I'm trying to fix them. I'd love to give you a baby but right now I just don't know if I can and I'm sorry. I'll think about it. It would be nice for her to have a brother or sister. She's almost two and she's never even seen another baby."

Lily kissed him "I appreciate you opening up to me about all this."

Severus was quiet for most of the night. He'd never talked about what he went through with anyone and now he was reliving all of it, the good times he'd had with Cassia, the urgency in her voice when she told him something was wrong, when they said she might not make it, and then of course when she didn't. He tried to keep it locked away but it was something even he couldn't hide with occlumency. He felt like life was finally in a good place now. He wasn't ready to destroy it. He wasn't ready to face the possibility of what might happen to Lily and the potential baby. That night a voice in his head whispered l ife can be taken away at any moment. He didn't need a baby to lose Lily. There was a madman out there who was taking wives, mothers, sisters, husbands, brothers, dads, children, away from their families. He could lose both Lily and Octavia at any time. No where was safe, it hadn't been for years but life didn't stop for Voldemort. He wouldn't let that happen.


	34. Chapter 34

It was November 17th and time for another meeting. They received an address to a home in Kent. Severus and Lily had been about to disapparate when a silver apparition seemed to seep in through the walls. It took the shape of a Phoenix and spoke with Dumbledore's voice. "Stay where you are. It is not safe to apparate. I'll be there soon to explain." The phoenix disappeared into thin air as quickly as it had appeared.

"What do you think that was about?" Lily asked

"I don't know, I hope everyone is ok." Replied Severus

They anxiously awaited the arrival of Dumbledore. It felt like hours when in reality it had been only 20 minutes before Dumbledore arrived at their location. He arrived without a greeting, instead the first words out of his mouth were "Are you alone?"

"Yes, it just the two of us. We dropped Ava off at my parent's place earlier today." Said Severus concerned

"Does anyone know where you live other than family and myself?"

"No, no one. Dumbledore, what's going on?"

"I'm afraid someone in the Order is a rat. Several member's home addresses were given to Lord Voldemort and his followers. The address I gave you for the meeting today would have taken you to the house of Edgar Bones and his family. When I arrived the home had been burned to the ground. The bodies of his wife and three children were inside with him. Dorcas Meadows also reported some strange men lurking around her property. We've relocated the members we believe that have been affected."

"Do you have any idea who it was?" asked Lily

Dumbledore sighed "I'm afraid not. For now we must all be careful in who we divulge our secrets to. No one can know where you two live. Until we know it is safe do not leave unless absolutely necessary."

"What about my parents, sir? They've lived in Cokeworth nearly all of my life. Won't they be easy to find?"

"I understand that your mother placed protection around the house many years ago, yes? And they've had no issues in the past?

"No, Sir, they haven't bu-"

"I would not concern yourself with the thought of them being in danger. Your mother isn't apart of the order so no one should care where they live."

"But what about our daughter?"

"If it's alright with you I will pick her up tonight and bring her back. I don't want either of you to have the chance of being followed. Stay inside and lie low for now. I'll keep in touch. There is one more thing I need to request. Do either of you know how to preform the patronus charm?"

"No, Sir." It was Lily who spoke this time.

"It would be a very useful spell to use in these dark times. As I'm sure you noticed earlier they can also be used to send messages. It is faster than using an owl and it cannot be intercepted. You two were both bright students, I'm sure you can figure it out on your own but if you need help I can offer some assistance. Now, if you don't mind I need to update other members of the Order. I'll return in a moment with Octavia then I must be off."

Before either of them could speak Dumbledore had disapparated. He reappeared a moment later with the wriggling child who demanded she be put down. Dumbledore relinquished her to her parents before leaving for a final time.

"Mama" Octavia said to Lily as she toddled over to her. Lily picked her up and turned to Severus with a concerned face. She held Octavia tight as she spoke "Severus, what if they find us?"

"We need an emergency plan, somewhere to go if they ever do turn up. When Dumbledore clears us to leave I'll look for a safe house. I don't trust using one of his, not if the rat may know its location. For now I think we'll be safe." He pulled his two girls into a tight embrace. "It's almost her bedtime, let's put her down then I need to talk to you."

Together they bathed the young girl and read a few stories before she was placed in her toddler bed for a worriless sleep. Oh how they must being young without a care in the world. Severus and Lily retired to their own bedroom and prepared for the night.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"I've been thinking about what you said a while ago and after the events of tonight I think it's time."

"What are you talking about?"

"About having a baby. I'll never be able to keep you completely safe but we can't let Voldemort keep us from living our life."

"Sev, are you sure?" Lily said while trying to conceal a smile.

"Lily, I would love to have a baby with you."

"Why don't we try for one right now?"

"I would love that, Mrs. Snape." He said as he climbed on top of her.

The next few days were boring. They were stuck inside the house, Lily wasn't even allowed to work. She had to owl the hospital and explain the situation. She hated having to send Archi out into the unknown. She wanted to keep him safe too. Together they sat on the couch and watched some muggle kids movies with their daughter. Even Salem decided to join them and curled up in Octavia's lap.

"Can you imagine doing this with another little one?" Lily whispered.

"I can't wait." He replied with a kiss. "I've been looking through some of our books for anything about the patronus charm. It seems pretty complicated." They spoke low as they watched the movie.

"Do you think it's something we can do?"

"Oh absolutely. It just might take quite a bit of practice…Lily? Do you remember when you found me using that spell on the tree?"

"How could I forget? Why? What about it?" she asked with a frown.

"I never hoped I'd have to use that spell on a person but I think I should teach it to you just in case."

Lily nodded in understanding. She'd hate to see what it did to another human but she agreed it would be a good spell to know. There was suddenly a knock at the door. Severus frowned as he stood to open it. He gripped his wand tightly in his hand as he pulled on the handle.

"Mum! He gasped. What's the matter?!"

"They found us Severus." Eileen was covered in blood and in bad shape. Lily got up from the couch and rushed Octavia into her room before coming to help.

"Mum…where's dad?"

"He…he didn't make it." She burst into tears. "I tried to save him, bring him with me but I was too late. They used the killing curse on him. He never had a chance."

Lily helped Severus carry her to the couch. It seemed the source of the blood was coming from her leg. Lily lifted up Eileen's robe and gasped "Eileen, what did they do to you?!"

Severus looked down at the leg as well. It was shattered, patches of skin were missing entirely and in some places they could see bone.

"They used bombarda on me. The Deatheater aimed for my chest but I was able to run away. He hit me as I disapparated."

Lily rushed to the potions room and grabbed some much need supplies. "Eileen, take this and I'm going to fix your leg." She gave her a sleeping draught and began working as soon as Eileen fell asleep on the couch. "Bombarda…that was never meant for a person." Lily mumbled. She used some spells to clean the wound and remove the damaged skin. Inside there were chunks of bone missing entirely.

"Lily, I need to go. I need to get his body."

"Severus! No! It's too dangerous! Dumbledore ordered that we stay here and that was before all this happened!"

"Lily, I can't just leave him." He apparated away before she could say anything else. It took several long minutes before he reappeared outside. He opened the door and in floated a stretcher carrying Tobias. Severus placed him in their potions room for now and locked the door with his wand. It wouldn't do to have Octavia find her Papa like that. Lily had finished working on Eileen by the time he was back. The skin had stitched itself back together but Eileen would need skelegrow to replace the missing bone. Lily had brought her to the bedroom while Eileen slept off the rest of the potion.

"They were gone by the time I got there. There's a dark mark above the house though." Severus said. "Almost everything was gone. They ransacked the place but it doesn't seem they found what they were looking for." Severus pulled an ordinary looking brown sac from his pocket. "Lucky for mum they didn't find this. She was smart to be prepared." Eileen had placed an extendable charm on the bag. Inside were all of their personal items, money, pictures, things they would need to survive in case something like this happened, even some supplies for Octavia. She had been so prepared but it hadn't mattered. They'd done so much harm so fast. Severus was just thankful that Octavia hadn't been there. He could have lost her too. He placed the bag on the kitchen table before going into his daughter's room and hugging her tight for as long as she would let him. "Go play with mum, okay darling?"

"Where's gamma?"

"Grandma's sleeping right now, she'll play with you later."

"Otay." The little girl replied before running towards Lily.

Lily was furious with Sev about him leaving. All that they ever did was for Ava. She was the whole reason They were so hidden away and Severus had given that up in an instant. She would be sure to have a talk with him about it later.

Archimedes was out flying and enjoying himself. They hadn't expected to need him and let him stretch his wings. It only made them realize how much they needed to learn the Patronus charm. Until Archi came back they had no way to contact Dumbledore and let him know what happened. It wasn't until that night that the barn owl returned and they could send a letter. Dumbledore apparated to their home with the owl the second he'd received the letter. It was immediately obvious that he was angry but they didn't yet understand why.

"How is she?" Dumbledore asked in a calm voice. It was only by looking into his eyes that one could tell his true emotion.

"She's still asleep. She had a sleeping draught earlier today while Lily fixed her up but she hasn't woken up from it." Severus told the man.

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure exactly, she showed up here saying that they'd found her. They-they killed my father" Severus stumbled over the words. "and aimed a bombarda curse at her but she was able to get away with only some damage to her leg."

Dumbledore sighed. "Severus I'm truly sorry about the events of tonight, that you lost your father, but I thought I specifically asked you not to leave?"

"I couldn't leave him there, Sir."

"If something like this happens again you may have to. It appears that Voldemort has found a way to trace apparitions. It's only possible for a minutes after the person disapparates. You are very lucky no one followed Eileen. It appears not all of the Deatheaters know how to use this magic but I'm sure in time they will learn. You are also lucky that no one was there when you made the foolish choice to return. I can't protect you unless you protect yourself."

"I understand, Sir, I'm sorry."

Lily was happy to hear Dumbledore scold Severus about the very same thing she was angry about.

"I hope this also shows you how important it is to learn how to cast a patronus. Had we known sooner about the attack we could have done more. Now I'm afraid all magical evidence has disappeared."

"I was speaking to Lily about it today. I found some information on it in one of my books. We're going to start practicing immediately."

"Thank you, Severus, and again, please remain here. I'm afraid where there was a second attack related to an Order member it has put us in an even more dire situation. I must return to Hogwarts. I'll be in touch."

Some of the twinkle had returned to his eyes but he was still filled with a deep sense of worry. With one last small smile he disapparated.

"He's right you know, you shouldn't have left." Lily said from the floor where she was playing with Ava.

"Lil, I'm sorry. That was stupid of me. I won't do it again." He kissed her forehead. "My mother has no place to live anymore. I'm afraid she might have to stay here. And my father, we need to plan his funeral. I don't know how we can do that while we stay in hiding." He sat on the couch exasperated.

"We can add a room onto the house for her. It may be handy having her here. We won't have to worry about leaving Ava somewhere else." She stood up and sat next to him. "Sev, we have a big enough property, we're in the middle of nowhere, why don't we bury him here?"

Severus nodded "I'll speak to my mum when she wakes up." Severus was filled with guilt. It seemed that he always made the wrong choice, that death seemed to follow in his footsteps. Tobias was dead because they had joined the Order. How many more were going to lose their lives because of him?


	35. Chapter 35

Trying for a baby had been hard on Lily. It had only been 4 months but every time the spell said she wasn't pregnant it broke her heart a little more. Severus was disappointed too each time but it didn't affect him like it did her. She had a hard time not comparing herself to Cassia. Severus had told Lily before that they'd used everything possible, done everything right and it still happened. Here she was trying and trying and trying to purposefully make a baby but nothing was happening. One day while Eileen was out with Octavia Lily brought up the topic.

"Sev? I have…kind of a personal question."

"You're my wife, nothing is personal anymore."

"Okay then…how long did it take until you guys conceived Ava?"

Severus stopped stirring his potion for a moment. "Why does it matter?"

"Can you please just answer the question?"

He screwed up his face in thought. "About 6 months? The first time we did it was over Christmas break I believe in year 5. She was conceived June first. Why?"

Lily didn't know if it made her feel better or worse. It was nice to know it didn't happen right away but she also didn't realize they'd been going on for that long. "I'm just concerned. It's March and still nothing."

He set the potion aside and pulled her in close. "Would it help if we saw someone? Made sure everything's okay?"

"It might." She breathed in the smell of old books. He always smelled like old books and she loved it.

"Why don't you set up an appointment for us and we'll both go and get checked out. Ill make sure my mum can babysit that day."

Lily nodded and pulled away to leave. He grabbed her wrist. "Lily? Try not to think about Cassia and I. I know it's bothered you for years but as much as I loved her, she's nothing compared to you."

She smiled and pulled her wrist out of his grip. "Thank you Sev, that means a lot" She walked out of the door to floo into the hospital. "I'll be back."

While Lily was gone Eileen apparated back with Octavia. Her experience with the Deatheaters a few months before had changed her mentally and physically. She walked with a cane and a limp now. Lily had done a wonderful job of putting her back together the Deatheaters just did a better job breaking her apart. Not everything was fixable. Since the loss of her husband she had aged. The crows feet around her eyes had grown deeper and she looked permanently exhausted. She was nearing 50 but looked much older. Tobias and Eileen had been young when they met, not much older than Lily and Severus were now. They had been together for 28 years. Severus always admired the love his parents had for each other and he noticed a huge difference in his mother when the love from Tobias ended.

Eileen and Octavia were dressed in muggle clothing. They'd been allowed to leave the home for a few months now but they stuck to muggle towns when possible and tried to blend in. They didn't mind, they'd all lived like muggles for many years.

"Daddy!" Octavia cried when they walked through the door. He picked up the three year old. "Did you two have fun today?"

"Gamma took me to the zoo and we ate ice cweam."

"That sounds like fun" he smiled "next time mommy and I will have to go with you." He put her back down on the floor. "Why don't you go wash up for dinner?" When she left Severus directed the next question at his mother. "Mum? Are you okay? You didn't over do today did you?"

"I'm just tired Severus. I just don't get around like I used to."

"You need to stop letting Ava talk you into going to places that make you walk so much."

"I know, It's just that I'll do anything for that girl."

"I know you will."

"Where's Lily?"

"She had to run to the hospital real quick."

"Everything okay?"

"Yes, just needed to make an appointment. I actually needed to ask you if you'd be able to watch Octavia while we go?"

"That's fine, you know I'm free."

Her last sentence made him sad. Ever since the attack she'd stopped brewing potions. It was her passion just like it was his. He'd offered to lend her his supplies or if she wanted, to help with a project but she never wanted to do either. He didn't push it. Her grief was still fresh and Severus remembered how long he'd felt like that after Cassia's death. Still, he missed his mum, not the woman she'd become.

Lily came back through the floo. "They can fit us in on Wednesday."

"Are you feeling any better about it?"

"Ask me again after the appointment."

"Mum said she can watch Ava."

At the sound of her nickname Octavia came out of her room holding her stuffed unicorn. "Mummy, why don't muggle zoos have unicorns?"

"Sweetie, muggles can't see them."

"Oh…am I a muggle? I've never seen one before."

Lily chuckled. "No honey, you have so much magic in you from your mum and dad. Unicorns are very rare. I've only seen one of them before…"

Severus listened to their conversation as he set the table. He was so proud of both of them. He was worried too about the fact Lily hadn't gotten pregnant yet. She'd gotten crazy about it recently, trying all the muggle "tricks" even though they were just old wives tales. Octavia just turned 3 two months ago. If they had another baby now she'd be almost four years old. He wished they weren't so far apart. "Dinner!" He called and the four of them seated themselves around the table. After the little girl had gone to bed for the night Eileen brought something up. "I've been thinking it's time to get my own place. I'm all healed up now and I want to get out of your hair.

"You aren't in the way, Eileen, we love having you here but if that's what you want to do we'll support it." Lily said.

"I need to get on with my own life. Find something that makes me happy again."

It was Severus who spoke next. "If you'd like we can move Dad to a Cemetery nearby when you move."

"No, he always liked it here. I think he would be happy to stay."

"It's up to you." Severus shrugged.

"I think I'm going to go to bed myself, it's been a long day. Goodnight you two." Eileen shut the door to her room.

"You know, Lily, moving is not a bad idea. Octavia will be starting preschool soon. We can find a muggle neighborhood to live in. Find a bigger house with room for another baby." Their house was already cramped with the four of them.

"I've been thinking about that too actually. It'd be nice to have neighbors again, for Ava to have friends. No one else has been attacked since…your parents…now would be a good time to move while we aren't under watch. Maybe Eileen could live nearby too."

"I'd like her to be close to us still. I'm worried about her. She hasn't been the same for months."

"She'll get there. You weren't either."

"Well Mrs. Snape everything looks normal. It's not uncommon for it to take a few months to get pregnant but I can't find anything wrong with either of you that would make it harder to have a baby. Just keep doing what you're doing. Come back in six months if nothing's changed."

Lily didn't speak much after the doctor appointment. She just felt like something was wrong. She didn't. believe that everything was normal. There was nothing the healer would do for her right now. He wanted her to give it more time first. She'd suggested seeing a muggle doctor about it but Severus didn't agree. If there was something wrong the healer would have found it. His reasoning was sound, healers knew more than doctors but she still couldn't shake the feeling the healer had missed something.

They went house hunting that day too. They decided to find a place in Westminster. It was close to Lily's mum, a muggle city, and it was packed with people. They were going to hide in plain sight. They found a terraced house on Palace Street that they fell in love with. It was rather large with four bedrooms and a lot of living space. There was a small garden in the back that was perfect for growing potions supplies and still left room for Octavia to play. Severus confunded the seller and the place was theirs. Throughout the house were floor to ceiling bookshelves. They had more space for books than they had books and that was saying something. They packed their stuff that night. With a flick of their wands things soared across the house and into boxes. They used a bag with an extendable charm to carry their stuff like Lily had so many years ago. Eileen would stay with them until she found a place of her own.

The four of them apparated together into the back garden where they wouldn't be seen. They unpacked the small boxes from the back and with a few more spells everything was put away and resized. The new home was a considerable upgrade from the last. The one downside was not being able to use a secret keeper. It would be too noticeable if this house disappeared from sight. Instead they placed twice the wards as before including some of their own invention.

It was an eventful week. A few days later they cast their first truly successful patronus. It was the first time it had taken an actual shape. Lily's appeared first, she'd always been better at charms than him. A silvery blue fox burst from her wand and ran around a laughing Octavia. Severus produced his true corporeal patronus immediately after. Octavia chased the two beautiful foxes around the new house before they vanished into thin air.

In July their dreams their dreams came true. "Sev! Come here!" Lily shouted urgently. He ran upstairs, afraid of what he would find. He walked into the bathroom to see Lily holding a pregnancy test. She'd been using muggle tests the last few tries."Sev…it's positive."

His reaction to this pregnancy was quite a bit different than last time but of course now he was 19 and married, not 16 and in school. They were both so excited for the new baby. That night after Octavia went to bed they made love and talked about the new growing peanut. He rubbed her unshowing belly. "I can't wait to see what you look like pregnant" he grinned at her.

"Well I know what you'd look like." She retorted with a poke to his belly. He was no longer the completely chiseled man he used to be. Being a stay at home dad and staying locked inside so much had caused him to grow a small belly. She loved to tease him about it and honestly it was a bit of a turn on. They fell asleep in each other's arms like they did most nights. Their family was growing and they couldn't wait.


	36. Chapter 36

They kept the pregnancy a secret for now. They wanted to enjoy it just themselves. They'd announce it in a few weeks. No one even knew they were trying, not even Eileen. It was hard for Severus to think about the fact that his father would never get to meet the new baby. He'd been obsessed with Octavia after her birth. He'd been a great papa to her and they were really close. Severus didn't talk about his dad much. He'd been upset over his death and tried to block it out as much as possible. Tobias never even had a chance to survive. The Deatheaters had struck him the moment he opened the door.

Tobias had taught him so much as a child. He'd been a smart man and he passed it onto his son. It's where Severus also inherited his looks, most notably his big nose which he'd always hated. Today was Tobias' birthday, the first one since his death. They hadn't been able to give him a proper funeral because of the increased security. To celebrate his birthday and honor his memory they ate steak and kidney pie, one of his favorites and discussed their favorite memories of him.

"You know, your father always wanted another kid after you, he wanted a girl. When you started growing your hair out long I told him he finally had one. I don't think he ever looked at you the same after that." Said Eileen between mouthfuls.

"So you're saying I was feminine?"

"No but you had your moments. You stole my makeup once when you were five. I found you in the bathroom putting on."

"I did not wear your makeup!"

"Oh but you did. You loved pretty things when you were a kid."

Lily was trying to keep herself from laughing at the thought of Severus in makeup. He glared at her.

"I refuse to believe it."

"I'm pretty sure I have pictures of it somewhere."

"Mum! Stop!"

"Oh no, I'd love to see them Eileen. I never knew about that."

"I'd forgotten all about it until just now."

"Do you remember that time shortly before we moved to Cokeworth when dad took me to the playground?" Severus asked

Eileen started laughing "I teased him about that for years."

"What? What happened?" Lily asked.

"I asked him if we could go on the swings. Well the swings had been there for quite a few years, they weren't in good shape anyway. Combined with my father's size it was a recipe for disaster. He sat on the swing next to me and it broke in half. He landed on his butt in the wood chips. I remember when they put the house up for sale I asked him if that was why we were moving. I don't think I've ever seen him turn that red."

Lily loved hearing stories about her father in law, mostly because Severus was usually involved too. She didn't know much about his childhood before they'd moved to Cokeworth.

"He always liked you, you know, from day one. He was heart broken when we broke up. I think he was more devastated than I was." Severus directed this at Lily.

"I remember how excited he was when we got engaged." Lily said.

They talked about Tobias for several hours. It was a bittersweet night for all of them. After Octavia went to bed Eileen headed back to her own home.

"I sure miss him" Severus sighed. "He was a good father, a good grandfather. It sucks he's going to be missing out on so much. He would have been so excited for this baby." Severus laid his hands on her stomach.

"If it's a boy why don't we name him after your dad?"

"I would like that." He gave her a kiss.

There was a meeting with the Order the next day. It was held in a different place every time to keep it hard to track and members were only given the address the day before. They'd spent the day with Virginia who they hadn't seen in a while. It was the first time she'd seen their new house.

"It's quiet spacious for just the three of you." Virginia observed

"Well it's not just the three of us anymore." Said Lily.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm pregnant, Mum."

"You are?!" She gave Lily a tight hug "How far?"

"Four weeks. We just found out a few days ago."

"Oh Lily, I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you, Mum. We're happy too. We should be back in a few hours."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm not sure yet, Sev has the information. Do you remember when I told you about my Ex, James?"

"Yes, what about him?"

"We're meeting him and his wife for dinner."

"Finally got over you then, huh?"

"I sure hope so. If not his wife is in for a surprise."

"Come on, Lils, we're going to be late." Said Severus.

Lily gave her mum a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight"

The safe house they apparated to this time wasn't far from their own house. There was no waiting, when everyone arrived they went right to business. They had received a lead that there was going to be an ambush near the ministry that weekend. Dumbledore had a man on the inside but no one knew who. He'd supplied them with a lot of information so far and saved a lot of lives.

"It seems they've found a certain fondness for a new spell, one I remember seeing at Hogwarts." Dumbledore glanced at Lily for a moment. "It's called Levicorpus. Lily, would you care to demonstrate for us?"

Lily was blushing, this was of course her spell. While it was mildly harmless it could be dangerous if used in the wrong hands, something she herself used to do. She was ashamed of the person she used to be. Lily chose Severus as her partner. "Levicorpus!" She cried and Severus flipped upside down, unable to escape.

"Liberacorpus." He stated and prepared for the fall. He was able to right himself before hitting the ground. "It can be quite painful if you're not prepared for the release. Its something worth practicing." It was a spell their old schoolmates recognized but no one else in the room. None of them had ever known the countercurse for it except Lily and Severus. "There's actually another spell worth teaching." Severus said. "It's not one I'm proud of but it can do quite a bit of damage. I'd like to speak with you about it after the meeting, Sir." Severus directed this at Dumbledore. They spent the rest of the meeting making plans for the attack on Saturday, something Severus and Lily didn't need to be concerned about, and practicing Levicorpus and Liberacorpus. Many of the members left feeling battered and bruised. The members liked to mingle afterwards, it was one of the few times they saw each other and for some of them, like Severus, it was one of the few times they saw anyone. Many of them stayed inside their homes if they could help it. Lily was one of the few with an actual job other than being a member. She was still working on her internship with St. Mungo's. She'd decided to specialize in dark magic since it was something she knew so much about. Severus flagged down Dumbledore.

"Sir? I'd like to speak to you about that spell."

"Right, of course. What did you have in mind?"

"Well it's a pretty dangerous spell. I would hate for anyone on Voldemort's side to get ahold of it. It could do us a lot of good though. I would like to suggest it's only taught to a few members we trust. We still don't know who the rat is. This could narrow down our search."

"That's a great idea, Severus. I wanted to speak to you about researching potions to use on the effects of the cruciatus curse. Would you be able to entertain my presence tomorrow? You can show me the spell as well."

"That'll be fine. Lily works tomorrow so it'll just be me. Octavia usually takes a nap around three if you'd like to come then."

"That'll work fine."

"I'll send you a patronus with our new location tomorrow."

"Thank you Severus."

Severus tracked down Lily and they left for home where they relieved Virginia of her babysitting duties. Octavia was already asleep when they got home. "I'm glad I don't have to worry about you fighting." Lily said. "I'd be too scared I'd lose you."

"I'm glad you don't fight either. I don't know how James and Catherine do it. But they don't have children either."

"Yet, I was talking to Catherine tonight. They're going to start trying for a baby soon."

"Really? I wouldn't have pegged James as the fatherly type."

Lily shrugged "I wouldn't have pegged you for a father either but here we are."

"Did you tell her we were expecting?"

Lily shook her head. "No I'm not ready yet, something just doesn't feel right. I told my Mum today though."

"Good, she should know. Everything will be fine Lils."

"I hope so." Lily climbed into bed. "I would love to invite my sister over for dinner. It's been such a long time since I've seen her."

"That's fine by me, they wouldn't have to apparate here like they would our other house."

"Can you do me a favor?"

"What's that?"

Lily hesitated. "Can you do something about your hair? You know I like it but I'm afraid what Vernon might say."

"I'm sure it'll be fine."

"You haven't met him before. He likes to find a problem with everything."

"Why don't we just let him deal? Not everything needs to be perfect."

She sighed. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you. I'll call her tomorrow."

They were still newlyweds and they acted like it. They had sex every night and fell asleep spooning. Severus woke up to the sound of her throwing up the next morning. He got out of bed and went to the bathroom where he held back her hair and rubbed her back. When she was done she leaned back into him. "Ugh, I feel awful."

"I'm sorry, babe, do you need anything?"

Lily shook her head "No, I'm okay. I'm going to owl work and not worry about going in today. I didn't sleep much last night."

Severus helped her stand and walked her back to the bedroom. "Just get in bed, I can let them know. I've had some potions on hand for when the morning sickness started. Let me go grab you one." Severus went downstairs and poured the potion into a cup of tea. He returned a few minutes later. Here, drink this, you'll feel better. She downed the tea and snuggled back into bed. He pulled the covers up over her and kissed her forehead. Just stay in bed, let me take care of you today. He didn't have to coerce her, she was happy to have the day to relax and feel better. Severus shut the door on his way out of the room before going down to make breakfast. Lily's potion kicked in within a few minutes. She curled up in the warm bed and fell asleep only to be woken several hours later by the doorbell. She looked at the clock, it was 3. She hadn't planned on sleeping the whole day. She pulled on her favorite pair of sweats. She would always prefer muggle clothing. She walked down to find Severus and her old headmaster out in their garden where Severus was showing him Sectumsempra. Lily agreed that would be a good spell for the Order to know.

Lily decided it would be a good time to call Tuney. She was so happy when Petunia agreed they should meet for dinner. They decided to have dinner the next week at the Snape' s new place. Lily had yet to see the inside of her sister's house even though they'd lived there a few years. She tried to ignore the feeling that told her they weren't wanted there.

They didn't hear about any news of the fight on Saturday until the next morning. Dumbledore sent a Patronus to let them know that everyone was safe. The ambush had been unsuccessful. The Order took out one of the Deatheaters after which the rest of them fled. Dumbledore unfortunately wasn't able to learn what they were after.

Petunia and Vernon arrived precisely at 6 o'clock on Thursday evening. Severus and Lily had dressed up for the occasion and had cooked a large meal. They were trying to prove what great people they were. Unfortunately it didn't seem to matter. Severus answered the door when the bell rang. He'd never met Vernon, only heard horror stories about the man.

"You must be Vernon." Severus said with an outstretched hand. "Nice to meet you." Vernon ignored his hand, gave one quick glance at Severus' hair and pushed inside their home with a chuckle. Petunia followed after him. Unlike her husband, Petunia happily greeted Severus before rushing over to give her sister a hug.

"Oh Tuney! I have so much to tell you!" Severus heard Lily say. They took the Dursleys on a tour of their house. Petunia was impressed but Vernon only pointed out flaws, the chipped paint, dents, scratches, no matter how miniscule it was, Vernon found it. Severus was quickly liking the man less and less. Severus was ecstatic to introduce his daughter to Petunia. They'd never seen each other before. Petunia had known she existed but that was all since she hadn't made it to Lily and Severus' wedding.

"Petunia, I'd like you to meet our daughter, Octavia."

"She's beautiful, Severus!" Petunia glanced between Severus and Octavia. "She has your hair but that's about it. Does she look very similar to her mother?"

Severus had been about to answer when Vernon interrupted. "Her mother? For goodness sake, Petunia, do you not know what your own sister looks like?"

The color drained from Lily's face. She knew this wouldn't be good.

"Lily's not her mum, not by blood anyway." Severus explained.

"What did you do? Knock up some tramp?"

"Lily, would you please take Octavia to her room?" Severus' voice was filled with rage.

"Severus, don't. He's not worth it." Lily whispered in his ear.

"Lily, please."

She ushered Ava out of the room and strained her ears to hear the conversation. To be honest, she was quite surprised to not find Vernon as a bloody pulp when she returned.

"No, Vernon, I did not 'knock up some tramp'. She happened to by my girlfriend who I was very much in love with."

"Then why is Lily here eh? If you were so in love why didn't you marry the girl?"

"She died shortly after she gave birth." Severus said in a restrained voice.

"Probably for the best, the poor child doesn't need that kind of influence around."

It took all of Severus' strength not to hex the ignorant idiot. Severus was smarter than that, he didn't want to be charged by muggle police or aurors for wasting his time beating up this man. "She would have been a wonderful influence. She was a much better person than I was. It's a shame she didn't live to be there for her daughter. Her life was much more valuable than-"

Lily cut him off. "I think its time for dinner" she said. "The roast finished just before you got here."

Severus and Vernon glared at each other a moment but they didn't continue the conversation. Severus fetched Octavia and the five of them ate dinner together. The table was quiet. Petunia and Lily carried on a forced conversation and Octavia babbled about everything under the sun. Severus only spoke when spoken to and it was with a measured voice. Neither he or Vernon tried to converse with one another again. Both were well aware of what Severus was about to say. They ate quickly. Frankly Severus didn't care if the dinner ended early. When the Dursleys left Severus shut the door behind them a little too hard. "I can't believe the nerve of that man."

"I told you he was bad but even I didn't expect that. He had no right to question you."

"What does Petunia possibly see in him?"

"I've been asking myself the same question for years."

"I'm sorry tonight turned out so badly. I shouldn't have let my emotions take over me like that."

"No, you didn't do anything wrong. I should have guessed that would happen." Lily sighed. There was always something in the way of her relationship with Petunia, this time it was Vernon and unfortunately he wasn't going away. "I've never seen Tuney like that before. He's broken her like a horse. I'm afraid she's going to end up in the same situation as our Mum." She leaned her head into Severus' chest. "Thank you for not being like that."

"I'm so sorry, Lils."

"I should have known better."

It was May 23. Severus left Lily and Octavia home while he ran to Diagon Alley for some potions supplies. He'd been working on some new potions and that meant a lot of trial and error. He'd finally mastered one last month to dull the aftereffects of the cruciatus curse. He was using that as his base potion for curing the truly horrible effects it could leave. Some people were tortured into insanity with it.

He returned home that afternoon to a quiet house. "Lily? Where are you?" He called. He wandered the house looking for her. "Ava?"

"Up here daddy."

Severus ran upstairs towards the voice of the little girl. He found her standing in the hallway. "Ava, where's mummy?" She responded by pointing a finger into the hall bathroom. Severus walked in to find Lily passed out on the floor covered in blood. He dropped the things he was carrying and rushed to her side.


	37. Chapter 37

He unbuttoned her pants and tried to wriggle them off to find the source of the bleeding. "I hate these blasted things, why can't she wear robes?" He said aloud. When they were off he instantly knew what was wrong. "No, oh no." He sent his mum an urgent patronus. Several minutes later there was a pop signalling her arrival.

"Severus, what's wrong?"

"I'll explain later, I need you to watch Ava while I take Lily to St. Mungo's." Severus had already redressed her. He picked her up from the floor and rushed to the floo before Eileen could respond.

It was only once Lily was in the room that he broke down. She had been right, something was wrong. Severus didn't even know if she was aware of what had happened. The healers weren't overly concerned. Lily had passed out from the blood loss but was otherwise fine. They waited for her to wake up then she could go home. She woke up a couple hours later.

"Sev?" she blinked "Where are we?"

"Honey, do you remember anything?"

She thought for a moment. "I remember…blood and hitting my head." Her head throbbed.

Severus took a deep breath and squeezed her hand. "Lils, you had a miscarriage."

She starting sobbing as soon as the words left his mouth. He climbed into the bed next to her and pulled her close. He stroked her hair trying to soothe her. "I know, I know, shh." He fought back his own tears. Seeing her like this almost hurt more than the thought of losing the baby.

"The healers said you could home as soon as you woke up. Are you ready to leave?"

She nodded vigorously. This wasn't where she wanted to be. Severus notified the mediwitch and helped Lily get dressed. They took the floo home. He supported her into the house and helped her upstairs. She was still shaking with tears. "The doctor said to take it easy for a few days." He unbuttoned her blouse for her and slid off the blood stained jeans. He helped her change and she got into bed. "Are you okay if I leave for a minute? I need to let Mum know I'm back. Is it alright if I tell her what happened?" Lily nodded and Severus kissed her forehead. "I'll be right back."

He went across the hall to find Eileen and Octavia playing in Octavia's bedroom. "We're back." He said as he walked into the room.

"I thought I heard you come home, what happened?"

Severus sat in the rocking chair. He rested his elbows on his knees and ran his fingers through his hair. "She had a miscarriage."

"Oh, Severus, I'm so sorry. How is she doing?"

"Not great, she's pretty upset and sore. I ran some errands and when I came back I couldn't find her. Ava told me she was in the bathroom. Apparently Lily noticed the blood and went to check. She passed out and hit her head."

"How far along was she?"

"Just barely 12 weeks. Ever since we found out she kept saying something was wrong and apparently she was right."

"How are you handling it?"

He sighed "I'm okay. It brings back a lot of memories. It was a girl."

"Do you want me to watch Ava tonight?"

"That would be great actually. Lily's pretty devastated. We were trying for about 8 months before she finally got pregnant. It was all really hard on her and now this."

"I'm so sorry Severus. Things never go like you plan."

"No, they don't."

"Why don't I take Octavia to the park and you can go take care of Lily?"

Severus nodded his head. He stood up and kissed the top of Ava's head. "Have fun with grandma, I'll see you later. Thank you mum"

He walked back to the bedroom he shared with his wife. She was still in the same position in the bed and still awake. Severus undressed and climbed in with her. She snuggled up close. "I was having cramps last night but I didn't think anything of it." Lily said

"Lils, there was nothing you could have done."

"But what if there was?"

"These things just happen. You said several times you thought something was wrong." He ran his fingers through her red curls. "We'll try again soon."

"But I don't want another baby. I want that baby."

"I know. I'd give it to you if I could. When you're ready just let me know."

"I don't know, what if it happens again? Look at Tuney, she's had five. I don't know how she does it. Maybe we just aren't meant to have kids."

"Don't say that. Let's not worry about it right now. We can figure it out later. Just get some sleep. Mum said she'd watch Octavia for the rest of the night."

She laid her head on his chest and let the tears continue to roll down her cheeks into his chest hair. It was pointless to try and sleep. She didn't think she ever would again. Lily was wrong. She was exhausted for days afterwards. It was no wonder they told her to rest. She slept almost nonstop, part of it was the exhaustion but she was also depressed. She didn't want to do anything. Severus had let her mum know what happened but she refused any visitors. She just wanted to be alone.

Anise came over to watch Octavia while Severus went to another Order meeting a week later. She didn't feel like going. Everyone wondered why Lily hadn't come, Severus said she just wasn't feeling well. He left as soon as the meeting was over. He didn't stay to talk even though Remus clearly had something to tell him. Severus felt bad but not bad enough. Lily was his priority right now. She'd taken the miscarriage really hard. Severus was worried about her depression. She barely talked, barely ate, barely did anything but sleep. He'd been upset too but not to the same extent. "She just lost a baby, give her some time." That's what his mum had said when he talked to her about it. Time only seemed to be making things worse. He felt like he was walking on eggshells around her. She cried over the easiest things right now.

XXxX

The plan to only teach some members Sectumsempra had worked. They hadn't had any leaks of the spell to Voldemort. They were to refrain from using it unless absolutely possible. Dumbledore didn't condone the unnecessary use of dark magic. They'd only taught it to some of the older members for now. Dumbledore was sure the rat was a new member, the leaks hadn't started until the new recruits had joined last year. He was hesitant to teach anyone else the spell.

After yet another meeting that Lily missed Severus confronted Remus. "Are you busy tonight?

"No, I don't usually do much, why?"

"Would you mind coming home with me? I think Lily could use someone else to talk to right now and I know that you two were good friends at Hogwarts."

"What's going on with her? She hasn't been to the last 3 meetings."

"She had a miscarriage about a month ago. It's been really hard for her."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I didn't know she was pregnant.

"No one did. So what do you say? Mind coming over?"

"Anything for Lily."

Lily was happy to see Remus. It was the happiest Severus had seen her in a while. He figured she could use a friend to talk to and this was the best he could do. He only wished Remus was a girl right now. Remus stayed late that night keeping them company. When he'd been preparing to leave Severus brought up one last topic in private.

"Remus, I was looking into adjusting the wolfsbane potion for you."

Remus looked appalled.

"Don't worry, no told me. I figured it out years ago. I've never spoken to anyone about it." This seemed to relax Remus a bit. "Anyway, I know there are still some unpleasant side effects of the wolfsbane potion and I'd like to do some research on it. The only problem is I'd need a test subject. Would you be up for it?"

"Absolutely. I've never taken wolfsbane before. Its too expensive for me to afford."

"Well I guess our starting point will be how it affects you then. I still have a lot of work to do first but I thought I would mention it to you."

"Thank you, Severus. You're a good man."


	38. Chapter 38

"Lily, I need you to come with me to this meeting. Dumbledore wanted all of us there to meet the new recruit. You need to get out of bed and out of the house."

Lily pulled herself out of bed and got dressed. Severus was right. She needed to get out of this funk. They left for a place in Stockport as soon as Virginia arrived. Lily looked like crap but she didn't care, she felt like crap too. Dumbledore always asked the members of the Order to arrive on time so that they would all be there before the new recruits. Severus and Lily seated themselves around the table as they waited for the new member to arrive. Lily wasn't expecting to know the new person, and she definitely wasn't expecting it to be one of her old friends. "Charlotte? What are you doing here?" It came out of her mouth before she could stop herself. She recognized her the second the redhead walked through the door. Lily wasn't the only person to recognize her, Severus, the Marauders, and the Longbottoms did too, but they didn't know Charlotte like Lily did. Lily heard the Gryffindors whispering among one another. Charlotte took a seat in the only empty chair.

"Well as Lily so kindly introduced, this is Charlotte Dubois." Dumbledore said "Charlotte, why do you want to join the Order of the Phoenix? What could you offer us?

Charlotte spoke for the first time since her arrival. "When I was set to leave Hogwarts I was planning on becoming a Death Eater. Lily and I were roommates. She was the only one in our dorm to not join he-who-must-not-be-named. I didn't know what I wanted to do or where to go so I told you-know-who I would join his ranks…and then I chickened out and didn't show up for my initiation. I've been on the run ever since. He's been trying to track me down. He…he killed my family trying to find my location. That only cemented my decision and I decided to fight for the light. I want to make him pay for what he's done."

When she finished the members talked amongst themselves. They didn't know if Charlotte could be trusted. To be honest, Dumbledore and Lily were the only ones who believed her. However, this wasn't up for debate. Charlotte could provide them more information about Voldemort's circle than anyone else. Out of all the members of the Order, Charlotte had become the closest to Voldemort. She could be quite helpful.

"Charlotte, I would like to discuss this with you more after the meeting. It is a sensitive situation and I would prefer to carry on in private." Dumbledore explained.

The meeting was short, Charlotte had been their only order of business. Dumbledore wasn't comfortable discussing more unlessl Charlotte agreed to sign on. The other members were sent home but Lily and Severus lingered behind. It wasn't until everyone else was gone that Dumbledore spoke again. He explained that there was a rat amongst their ranks but they had yet to figure out who. He told her to be careful who she trusted. Dumbledore explained the rules of the Order. She agreed to follow them and became an official member. She gave Dumbledore everything she knew about Voldemort. She was able to supply quite a few names the Order hadn't been aware of. What frightened Dumbledore the most was the Death Eaters who were working for the Ministry, namely Lucius Malfoy and Corban Yaxley. He suspected the Ministry had been infiltrated but now he had proof. Lily was saddened to hear that Kristi had become a Death Eater as well. She had been the shy Slytherin Lily had hoped to guide away from all the darkness.

Lily, Severus, and Charlotte left for drinks after. They apparated to a muggle pub where they least expected to be found. Charlotte and Lily caught up while Severus mostly stayed silent. He had known Charlotte to be a good friend to Lily while they were at school but he wasn't sure if he believed her innocent story about turning to the light. Something about it was off. He kept to himself until Lily ordered her 5th drink. He'd noticed she was tipsy and it wasn't like her.

"Lily, stop. I think we need to go."

"Why? This is fun?"

"Fun or not, you've had enough alcohol." He took the drink from her hand placed it on the table out of her reach. He pulled some muggle money from his pocket and left more than enough for the bartender. "I'm sorry, Charlotte. We need to get going. We'll have to do this another time." Severus told her.

"Sure, I understand. Is she alright?"

"She's…been through a lot lately. I'll let her decide if she wants to talk about it but for now I need to get her home. Goodnight."

Severus led a drunk Lily to an alley behind the bar and they apparated home. Lily rarely drank. A glass of wine here and there was usually all she had. She was too afraid she'd turn out to be an alcoholic like her father. It was a good thing she wasn't a big drinker, apparently she was also a lightweight. That was a lot of alcohol for her tiny frame. He led her inside and took her straight upstairs before her mother could notice her state. Lily was a grown woman but drinking was still something her mum disapproved off. Severus made the excuse that they had eaten some bad food and neither were feeling well. He rushed Virginia out the door.

Severus made Lily a glass of water. He decided against giving her a potion. The next morning she woke up late with a pounding hangover.

"Sev…close the curtains, it's too bright in here."

"Heads hurting huh?" He said as he darkened the room "Maybe next time you shouldn't drink so much."

"Can you please get me a potion? Why didn't you give me one last night?" Lily asked meekly.

"Lily, you need to snap out of this. It's been three months. You don't do anything but sleep all day. You rarely go to work any more, frankly I'm surprised they haven't fired you. Octavia is 3 ½, if you're going to be home I need some help watching her. I can't take care of her and brew at the same time. I know you're sad, I am too but enough is enough. I've had it."

Lily didn't say anything. She couldn't just "snap out of it" like he wanted her too. If it was that simple she would have done it months ago. She left the room without a word and grabbed her own potion. She returned to the bedroom only to change her clothes before she walked out of the front door. She wasn't going to put go with this. It only made Severus more angry. He was tired of being the only one around here putting in an effort. He did everything, he cooked, cleaned, earned money, and took care of the three of them all on his own. He felt like a single parent again but this time he shouldn't have. Lily needed to start pulling her weight. He'd been sad they'd lost the baby too but he still acted like an adult about it all. Life didn't stop just because you wanted it to. He was infuriated with Lily. He banged around the kitchen while Octavia played in the living room. He couldn't watch her from his potions room. He liked to brew when he was stressed or mad but since that wasn't an option he'd have to cook. It had been happening a lot lately with so much on his mind. They had sweets in every nook and cranny. With Lily staying upstairs all day he was the only one eating them and he noticed how small his pants seemed to be getting.

Lily walked around Camden market. She was angry and hurt. A small part of her knew Severus was right but she wasn't ready to give into that yet. She bought some new clothes for herself and Octavia and didn't return home for several hours. She went back only when she felt better. She unlocked the front door and found Severus in the kitchen making dinner. She also noticed another cake on the counter with a couple slices missing. Eating was clearly how he was dealing with things. She'd noticed his increasing size. Lily sighed, that was her fault too. He'd always been a stress eater and she'd been giving him plenty to stress over.

"I found some things for Ava." She said, trying to break the ice.

"Ok." He replied.

She bit her lip. "I found something for me too that I think you'll like."

He didn't say anything.

Lily exhaled. "Severus, I'm sorry. You're right. I need to find a way to be myself again."

He turned to look at her for the first time with an eyebrow raised.

"I'll take Ava to do something tomorrow and let you get caught up with work. I know I've set you behind on Remus' potion. I'll go back to work on Monday."

Severus nodded "Thank you."

"I'm worried about you too, you know."

"What do you mean? I'm fine."

"No you're not. Don't take this the wrong way but…" she hesitated.

"But what?"

"Well, I've noticed your increased appetite lately. You've packed on a few pounds."

Severus laughed. "I expected something worse."

She smiled, glad he hadn't been offended. "Just lay off the sweets, okay?"

He smiled back and gave her a kiss. " Trust me, I noticed too. I'll be more careful with what I eat. Thank you for thinking about what I said." He turned back to the curry he was making.

"One last thing Sev…I think I want to try for another baby again."

"Are you sure you're ready for that?"

She nodded "I feel like we need something more."

"I'm glad you feel that way. Now, what did you buy that you'll think I'll like?"

"I'll show you tonight." She gave him a mysterious smile

"I can't wait." He smiled back. "Ava's in the living room watching TV, do you want to get her washed up for dinner?"

"Sure, let me take this stuff upstairs."

He heard Lily call her name and smiled as he listened to their conversation. After Octavia was in bed Severus got to unwrap Lily. She'd bought some new, lacy lingerie and they had fun trying it out. It was the first time in a while for them.

XXxX

Lily tried her hardest to become her normal self. She returned to her normal life and her internship. She'd been placed on parole from her absences and had to fight to regain her reputation. She would return home for lunches and after her shift to watch Ava while Severus did his own work. He'd had some struggles with the wolfsbane potion. The regular potion made Remus extremely sick and the transition was still quite painful. Severus had tried adding, subtrating, and replacing some of the ingredients but they never seemed to have the desired effect. It was becoming frustrating. This was normally something he should excel in but for some reason he was stuck. He had yet to lessen or prevent the pain and nausea without compromising the rest of the potion's effects. He'd had enough for one afternoon. He tried adding lacewing flies this time and set the potion to brew for a few hours. He needed a break and decided to spend it with his family. He found his wife and daughter playing with dolls. He stood in the doorway just watching for a minute before interrupting.

"Have you heard from Charlotte at all?"

Lily shook her head "No, I tried owling her but I haven't heard back. I thought you didn't trust her?"

"I don't but you do and I trust your judgement. I know you could use some more friends and you used to be close to her."

"I was. I trusted her more than anyone of the other Slytherins for the whole time I was there. She was the only one who ever supported our relationship. Well, at least she supported it the most out of anyone."

"My friends never really supported it either. Oliver was the only one who ever had anything nice to say about you. It's nice to be out of that environment and not worry about the judging anymore. It's amazing how much your house can affect your life."

Lily agreed. "At least Octavia has a pretty good chance of being in Ravenclaw. Sadly if we have a baby there's the possibility of being in Slytherin."

"Being a Slytherin isn't all bad. You turned out just fine."

"Yeah, thanks to you."

"No, you chose your life. You didn't have to listen to me when I told you how worried I was about you becoming a Death Eater."

"Thanks, Sev, that means a lot."

"Don't forget my mum was in Slytherin too. It's actually quite surprising I didn't end up in Slytherin with you."

"It's a good thing. The boys of my year were some of the darkest. All of them are Death Eaters now."

"Well, Octavia goes in less than seven years. Hopefully this war will be over by then and we wont have to worry about it at all."

"I sure hope so, I don't want her to have the same worries we did."

"Me either, Lils."


	39. Chapter 39

They woke up early the next morning. Lily had to get ready for work and Severus decided to get a few hours of brewing in before Octavia woke up. He found his favorite black robes that he almost always wore. Lily joked that he only had one outfit and honestly she was right. He rarely wore anything else. She had just stepped out of the shower and found her own mediwitch robes to wear and dressed for work.

"Lily, you were right yesterday. I'm going to start going for runs when you get home from work." She looked over to see he was having a hard time buttoning his pants.

"We'll go with you. It'll be nice to get out of the house for a change." She dressed quickly and put her hair up in a bun so it was out of her way. "I need to get there a little early today. There's a lot going on so I probably won't be back for lunch either. She kissed him goodbye before stepping into their garden to apparate.

It was only 6 am. Octavia would be asleep for a few more hours. Severus went down and checked on the potions he'd left brewing overnight. Only one of them was useable, the one with lacewing flies. Remus would be stopping by later to pick it up. Tomorrow was the full moon and he needed to start taking it. Severus wasn't able to go with him to the shrieking shack. It was too dangerous without him being an animagus. He'd have to rely on the reports of Sirius and Remus. James and Peter rarely went any more. James was married now and stayed home with his wife. Severus wasn't exactly sure why Peter had stopped going. Severus had to be meticulous in telling Sirius what to look for. He hoped this potion would at least help some. The lacewing flies helped polyjuice potion stay down, he hoped they would have the same effect here. He bottled the potion and set it aside for now.

Severus hadn't had much time to work on the cruciatus potion lately. He hoped he would get some time for it today.  _ Maybe I'll call Anise _ he thought _ they haven't watched Ava in awhile _ . It was too early to call yet but Octavia wasn't awake yet anyway. He set to chopping the ingredients he would need today and started the initial brewing process.

At 9:30 Octavia woke up. He dressed her and they ate breakfast together before he called her grandparents. Anise and Robert were ecstatic to have an opportunity to watch her again and hurried over. They we're going to take her to the zoo and have her spend the night. Severus kissed his daughter goodbye and made small talk with Cassia's parents. It was nearing 11 by the time they left.

Remus came by seconds after the others had left. He needed to start the potion now for it to start working in time. Severus handed him one of the bottles and Remus downed it. "Well, it tastes a little better…I guess."

"Sorry, there isn't much I can do in that area."

"It's okay, I appreciate all the effort you've put into it. How's Lily doing?"

"She's doing better. We decided to start trying again just last night."

"That's good. I'm glad she was able to make it to the last meeting."

"Me too, it's been hard trying to get her to do anything. I think seeing Charlotte helped."

"Do you trust her?"

Severus shrugged "I don't know yet, hopefully she doesn't get any of us killed. It seems promising though that she had so much information to turn over. Did you know Regulas Black is a Death Eater?"

"Yeah, unfortunately. Sirius was furious when he found out. I don't blame the poor guy. Sirius was one of the few in his family to not head that direction. You know Bellatrix Lestrange is his cousin right? And of course so is Narcissa. I guess their other Sister, Andromeda, married a muggle. She's the only one I know of that doesn't associate with the Death Eaters besides Sirius. I'm actually surprised she didn't join the Order."

"I gotta say, it pays not to come from a pureblood family. I'm glad I didn't have to grow up with that crap."

"Me either, they're not all bad though. Molly and Arthur Weasley are some of the two best people I know."

"I don't think I've met them."

"They were both Gryffindors, a few years ahead of us."

"That explains it, so what's going on with you?"

"Turning into a werewolf every month, that's about it. It's hard to maintain a relationship and keep my condition a secret."

"I can imagine. At least you have some good friends to take care of you. I miss being single same days. I love Lily and Octavia but life was so much simpler before they came along."

"Just wait until the new baby comes. You think life's hard now."

"Oh don't remind me. I'm not ready to give up my sleep again."

Remus laughed. "I'd trade you if I could. Well I better head out. I need to get a couple things done before tomorrow."

"See you, remind Sirius to take notes this time! It was very unhelpful he got drunk last time and couldn't answer any of my questions."

"I'll try, you know how Sirius is. Maybe you should become an animagus, come along with us.

"Maybe, I'll think about it. Good luck." Severus said as he shut the door behind Remus.

Lily got home late that night. It was 6 before she got home. "Severus? Did you not make dinner?" She was surprised not to see anything on the stove.

"Actually" He said with a devilish grin. "Anise and Robert asked if they could have Octavia for the night. I figured we could go out somewhere for once."

"That sounds great. We haven't gone on a date in a long time."

"I know just the thing to work up an appetite." They made out and stripped on the way to the couch.

"Do we have to eat? I just want to stay here." Lily asked when they were done.

"How about I pick us up some Chinese food?" Delivery was out of the question with so many wards on the house. "Don't move. I'll be right back." He dressed quickly and left after giving her a peck on the cheek. She laid under the blankets naked waiting for him to return. It wasn't long before she heard the front door creak open.

"Sev? Back so soon?" She turned to find a masked man standing in the doorway. She screamed and apparated away before the man could do anything. She apparated twice, afraid the man would follow her. She went to the first place she'd thought of, the hills near their old house. She sent a patronus to Sev to let him know what had happened and where she was. It was getting dark and it was freezing cold. She transformed the blanket she'd been wrapped up in into a warm pair of robes and got dressed. She wasn't worried about being seen, they were in the middle of nowhere. She waited anxiously for Severus to show up. It didn't take long but when he did come he had several people with him. Lily was glad she was wearing more than a blanket. Severus appeared with Octavia in his arms and Anise and Robert in tow. If the Death Eaters had been able to find Severus and Lily, it wouldn't be hard for them to find Cassia's muggle parents. She understood his reasoning and worried for her own mother. When she saw that Sev and Octavia were there and safe she left to fetch her own family before Severus could ask her what happened. She returned empty handed. "My mother wouldn't come" she said shocked. "Her parents aren't doing well. They couldn't come with us but mum wouldn't leave them behind either." She was nervous they'd be found. Severus had bought Virginia a gun and showed her how to use it but it didn't comfort Lily enough.

"I sent my mum a patronus too. She should be here any second. Lily, what happened?"

"I stayed on the couch after you left. I heard the door open and was surprised you were home so early. It wasn't you I saw when I turned around so I panicked and left. He had a mask on that looked like a skull. I couldn't see what he looked like."

There was a pop signaling Eileen's arrvial and Lily repeated her short story. Severus handed Octavia to her and disapparated. He arrived in Hogsmeade and sent an urgent patronus to Dumbledore. It was a long walk from the Castle and it felt like Severus had waited forever. Eventually the gates opened and Dumbledore was there. He explained the situation and in return Dumbledore gave him the address to a safe house for the six of them to spend the night. He was going to call for an emergency meeting as well. Severus apparated back to the field. Together he, Lily, and Eileen read the address. They apparated in pairs, Eileen and Robert, Lily and Anise, and Severus and Octavia. They arrived in front of an older home near a roaring ocean. The house stood alone on the rocky shore. There was plenty of room for the six them inside. Lily and Severus left for the emergency Order meeting, this time with Octavia in tow. Severus was too afraid to leave her behind. He didn't understand how they had even been found.

During the meeting Octavia sat on Severus' lap playing with a toy. Dumbledore had transformed a pillow from the other room into a stuffed fox for her.

"How did they find us?! How did they know where we lived?!" Severus demanded

"I'm sorry, Severus, but we don't yet know. I'll discuss it with our member on the inside and see if Lord Voldemort divulges what happened. Until then I think its important we know how many people are aware of where you lived?"

"Just you and Remus." Severus had dropped the formality of 'sir', he was too angry. "I know Remus wouldn't betray us. He is one of the few people we trust."

Dumbledore tapped his chin in thought. "I have to agree, there are few men as trustworthy as him. I will look into what happened and get back to you as quick as possible. Until then stay in the safe house and give the location to no one. I want the rest of you to stay put as well. We're on lockdown again."

The meeting was small. Few people could come on such short notice. Remus was missing with his transition coming up but the rest of the Marauders were there.

Severus and Lily slept very little that night. Their bed was lumpy and uncomfortable and their minds filled with worry. Octavia slept in their room. They were too afraid to let her out of their sight. Severus cast a muffliato so that they could talk but they still whispered, afraid they'd wake the little girl. Octavia slept peacefully, without a care in the world. Severus envied being young and oblivious to the dangers around them. Voldemort was becoming ever present in their lives. Severus didn't admit it to Lily, it would only scare her more but he was terrified of what was to come.

They didn't find out for several days how they had been discovered. Dumbledore informed them that such a strong magical presence in a muggle neighborhood was what had tipped the Death Eaters off. They hadn't looked for the Snape family specifically, they were willing to take out anyone they could find. Severus had never suspected Remus but it was still a relief to know he hadn't been behind it all. The members were taken off lockdown and allowed to leave again. Dumbledore requested that Severus and Lily remain in the safe house for now. He believed Anise, Robert, and Eileen to be safe to return to their homes since they had never been targeted to begin with. Their houses remained untouched and there was no reason to believe the Death Eaters had ever been there.

On December 15th, 1979 They received an early Christmas gift. Lily was pregnant again. They weren't sure if they should be happy or scared, they felt a bit of both. Lily cried when she found out. She was scared to go through it all again. They had their first appointment a week later. She was eight weeks along. Lily tried not to think about it much or be excited in case it all happened again but something inside her told her that it would be okay this time. She felt better once the twelfth week passed, the time they'd lost the last baby. She called her sister for the first time since their dinner together to share the news. Petunia was pregnant too, about a month farther than Lily was. Lily was upset Petunia had never bothered to share her news. Their kids would be so close in age but it was likely they would never meet and Lily found that heart breaking.

Severus was ecstatic for the new baby. Lily started showing much earlier than Cassia ever did but Lily was also quite a bit smaller. She'd always been shorter and extremely skinny. It didn't help that she carried the baby in front. Severus loved it. He loved rubbing her belly and talking to the growing baby inside. Octavia was four years old and she'd finally have a baby brother or sister. It was no longer the three of them


	40. Chapter 40

At the next Order meeting Severus and Lily learned they weren't the only ones expecting. Alice and Frank and James and Catherine were both due around the same time as Lily. To top it off all three of the couples were expecting boys. Unfortunately happy news never came without some bad. The Prewett brothers were murdered by a pair of Death Eaters over the weekend. The Order had been informed of an attack in a muggle neighborhood. Many lives were taken that day but the Order only lost the brothers. The Death Eaters lost Augustus Rookwood, Henry Jugson, and Jessica Langman. Many muggles were injured or killed in the cross fire. That fight hit close to home for Lily. Both Augustus and Jessica had been in her year. She'd never particularly cared for Jessica one way or the other but it was still shattering when someone you lived with for 7 years was killed. Jessica picked her own path. No one forced her to join Lord Voldemort but she had been so young, so naïve.

Severus and Lily met the Weasley family for the first time at the conjoined funeral. Fabian and Giddeon were the brothers of Molly Weasley (née Prewett). The Weasleys were there with their five kids. Molly was a wreck at the loss of her younger brothers. All of the Order members attended the funeral. Severus and Lily offered their condolences but didn't stay for the burial. That was a family matter and they'd both been to enough of them in their life.

In fact later that year they had another. Lily's grandparents passed within a few days of each other. They were both in their late 80s and everyone knew it was coming. Lily had never been particularly close to them. She only saw them for a couple months out of the year since she attended Hogwarts. She was sad but her grief didn't last long. It destroyed Virginia to lose her parents. She was an only child, the only family she had left was her two daughters. Virginia and Eileen moved in together. They were both widows who had no intention of marrying again. They'd grown extremely close over the years and this way they could keep each other safe. Severus and Lily were all for the idea.

The year was filled with death for everyone with Lord Voldemort reaching the pinnacle of power. Anise and Robert were killed in a Death Eater attack that took out five other muggles. Octavia only had Eileen and Virginia left as grandparents. Benjy Fenwick and Caradoc Dearborn, two more order members were killed in March. Their deaths brought the toll up to 10 people that Lily and Severus had known and lost in just the first three months of the year. Everyone was terrified, it seemed even Dumbledore was powerless against Lord Voldemort. He-who-must-not-be named was untouchable. He was rarely there for actual fights, he let his minions do his dirty work. The fear of him was perpetuated by lack of knowledge. Few people had seen his face and knew what he looked like but the public was wary to believe the red eyes, slit like nose, and greying skin. It was then that Dumbledore told the public Voldemort's real name, Tom Marvolo Riddle. Many people knew the name. He had attended Hogwarts and was perhaps most well known for capturing the person who opened the Chamber of Secrets. This angered Voldemort, he did not want to be known by his muggle name. He wanted to be surrounded by mystery and fear.

XXxX

Lily and Severus were still in the safe house. It was still barren after four months of living there. Lily and Severus had lost nearly all their possessions the day the unknown Death Eater stepped into the house. Professor Dumbledore didn't let them return to see what was left until several days after the attack. By that time it had been ransacked and destroyed and very little was Salvageable. Lily sat on the shabby, ripped couch. She was five months pregnant but looked to be more like seven or eight. She rubbed her belly, feeling the little boy inside kick.

"Sev…I think we made a mistake bringing a child into this world."

He sat on the floor rubbing her feet. "I've been thinking about that too but it's too late to change our mind. All we can do is love and protect him."

"That doesn't feel like enough. Look how many people have died. We've been to more funerals than weddings or baby showers. What if we're next?"

"Then we'll fight like hell to protect or children."

They were miserable and bored out of their minds. They rarely left the house anymore, afraid for their own lives. Lily had quit her job and dropped out of the internship, she wasn't the only one. A lot of people were unemployed right now. Severus had to put a halt on his research. Ingredients were hard to come by with many of the sellers in hiding or dead. They felt like they were going to go crazy in this house, the house that wasn't even theirs. Even Octavia was bored. She had very few toys and she grew tired of them quickly. They were running out of things to transform for her.

They sat in the living room and watched the little girl play. Severus now sat on the couch and Lily lay with her head in his lap. "What do you think about the name Harry Tobias Snape?" She asked.

Severus thought about it for a moment. "I like it." He leaned over and kissed her growing belly. "My mum will be here soon. Let's hurry and have dinner before the meeting tonight." He got up and heated up some leftovers. Virginia and Eileen arrived together while the Snape family was eating dinner. Severus and Lily gave a quick hello before they were off. The meeting was small. They'd lost four members in recent months and it was noticeably empty in here. Lily sat next to Charlotte. Charlotte had proved herself to be trustworthy and became a great resource for the Order. She was able to stay in touch with several of her friends that had become Death Eaters. Nohe of them knew she was in the Order. "Albus, Voldemort believes they've located your spy. Unfortunately they are right about his identity." She was one of the few who know who the spy was.

"We'll have to increase protection around him. He's too valuable to lose. Thank you for letting me know." He gave a single nod in her direction. "Unfortunately I have some bad news of my own." Dumbledore prepared himself for what he was about to say. "As you all know, our old Divination teacher at Hogwarts has retired. I've been in the search for another one. I found a woman perfectly qualified for the job. In fact during the Interview she gave a prophecy, a prophecy that could affect three of the families in this room, a prophecy that was overheard by a Death Eater. He was caught shortly after the revelation had begun but he heard enough and I have reason to believe he's relayed this information to his master. The prophecy speaks of a boy born towards the end of July. This baby will mark the downfall of Lord Voldemort himself." There were gasps throughout the room. The revelation caused an uproar. Members were angry, some of them were even crying. There were three women in this room who were pregnant, all with boys, and each baby was due around the time the prophecy spoke of.

"QUIET!" Dumbledore shouted, trying to regain control. The members quieted down as much as possible, the three pregnant women were in shock and distressed.

"I plan on placing each of you in a safe house that will be protected by a secret keeper. We will provide as much protection and security as we can for all of you. It would be wise to remember that someone in this room is giving Voldemort information. None of you are to reveal the location of your homes. Not unless you wish to place your child in danger. All three of you will be moved from where you're at now. I am sorry to distress you all. Our meetings will become less frequent and only be held when necessary. Now, Mr & Mrs Longbottom, Potter, and Snape, I would like speak with you about your arrangements. The rest of you are free to go. The six of them remained behind as the others apparated away. When Dumbledore was sure no one else remained he gave them instructions. James and Catherine requested that they stay in their home in Godric's Hollow. Dumbledore could not convince them otherwise. The Longbottoms and Snapes were given a paper with the location of the new home. Each unaware of the other family's location. Severus and Lily were to be relocated to Novaly, a country town in southern England. Dumbledore requested that they wait to move in until they had a secret keeper. "I'd like to give you each a couple days to discuss who you wish the secret keeper to be. When you have decided, let me know so that we may set up the arrangements."

Lily was inconsolable for days after the meeting. Severus had always tried to be the voice of reason but now even he had nothing to say. They seemed doomed. What did it mean that this child would bring the takedown of Voldemort? How could a baby do something even Dumbledore had failed at for nearly a decade? If Voldemort had of course heard the prophecy, that only meant one thing. The child was going to be killed and so were it's parents.

They knew who they wanted as their secret keeper. It wasn't even something they had to discuss. It would be Dumbledore. He was practically unreachable while at Hogwarts. He only left Hogwarts for Order business and even then he would be a hard wizard to battle. Severus and Lily packed the few possessions they did have. The next day Dumbledore came by and they performed the spell. They'd used Eileen as their secret keeper once before with no issues. Severus trusted his mother with all his heart but he wouldn't put her in the situation where she could be tortured or murdered for information on their whereabouts.

"Who's going to be secret keeper for the Longbottoms and Potters?" Severus asked Dumbledore.

"Frank Longbottom is entrusting his mother. The Potters haven't decided yet but it'll likely be one of their three friends."

This was the first time they stepped foot in the new house. It was smaller than the one they just came from but that house had originally been meant for six people. The new house was the perfect size for their family of four. It was an older style home but the inside had been redone. It was modern and fully furnished. It fit their needs perfectly. There was even a bed for Octavia and a crib for Harry when he arrived.

They had no neighbors out here. They were in the middle of nowhere surrounded by hillsides and a forest. At least if anyone did find them they would be able to hide in the thick wood. There were no city lights polluting the sky. You could see stars for miles. It was a beautiful place and they would have enjoyed it if it wasn't their prison. When they were home, when it was just them they felt like the only people in the world. It was a nice thought to escape to.

They had never pictured this as their life, on the run from a serial killer. If nothing else, at least they had each other. They felt prepared for their life alone even with a baby coming. They were both efficient with spells and potions. Lily had completed a large part of her internship and taught many of the healing spells to Severus. It was good he knew them incase he ever had to use them. Hopefully that day would never come. Hopefully Voldemort would meet his match and they could continue on with their lives. If it was one of the three babies that meant the end of the war was nearing.


	41. Chapter 41

Dumbledore was right, the hunt was on. Voldemort had become obsessed with the prophecy. All other things dropped to the back burners of his mind as he hunted for the unborn baby. For the time being, you were safe as long as you weren't due to have a baby in July. Voldemort had also correctly identified Dumbledore's spy. Regulus black was now missing, presumed dead. If Voldemort was involved then it was certain he had killed Regulus. Once one possessed the dark mark they were bonded to Voldemort forever. He wouldn't allow anyone to leave or escape, it would cost them their life. Only now Regulus' true side was revealed. Regulus had joined Voldemort in full support of him but quickly realized how wrong he had been and sought help from Dumbledore. Under Dumbledore's orders he remained a Death Eater so as to spy for the light. Sirius was proud that Regulus had changed sides but he was devastated at the loss of his little brother. They'd been close as children but grew apart as Regulus followed a dark path and Sirius left home. They held a funeral for him even though there was no body. It was a small funeral. Sirius and Andromeda Tonks were the only family members in attendance. Many of Regulus' family was dead or considered him a traitor. Regulus had lived a lie of a life, making no friends or lovers along the way. The Order came to his funeral, the ones who were allowed to leave their homes, but they had never known Regulus personally. They had never even known he was on their side. It wasn't the funeral Regulus deserved. He tried what no man had done before. He deserved to be held to the highest honor. Instead an empty casket was buried in a cemetery far from his family. Even in death he was alone.

With Dumbledore's spy gone they had very little intel about what was going on. Charlotte could only do so much without becoming a Death Eater herself. Dumbledore urged the rat in the Order to come clean, to turn back to the light and help them. He wouldn't reveal the traitor's identity to anyone if they came forward. No one would have to know what they had done. Of course the rat never did come forward and the Order was once again on the losing side of the battle.

Severus had been thinking about it for weeks. Late one night he apparated to Hogsmeade and asked to speak to the Headmaster. His wish was granted and the gates to Hogwarts were opened. He hadn't stepped on the ground since graduation. He was 20 years old now but he felt much older. Living in fear had aged him. He made his way to the Head Master's office. The doors opened upon his arrival to reveal the typically wise Albus Dumbledore seated behind his desk and distressed. This was something Severus had never seen. He looked defeated, old, and frail. The stresses of life were taking a toll on him too.

"Dumbledore, Sir." Severus asked as he crossed the threshold. "I need to know the entire prophecy. It may help keep us safe, at least help put our mind at ease."

"I'm afraid that won't happen. There is nothing I can tell you that will be of any help"

"Albus, we need to know. This could very well be about our child. We need to be prepared. We deserve to know."

Dumbledore sank lower in his chair. He looked tired. In a mystic voice he repeated the prophecy. " _ The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... _ "

Dumbledore was right, knowing the entire prophecy only complicated things. What did it mean that Voldemort would mark him as his equal? Severus sank into a nearby armchair. He had so many questions. Dumbledore was the first to speak. He'd stood from the desk and was looking out one of the many arched windows behind

"Severus, I believe I know what happened to Regulus."

"Regulus? How does this have anything to do with him?"

"During Tom Riddle's stay here he immersed himself in dark magic. So much so that we have since removed many of the darker books. One of which is 'Secrets of the Darkest art.' by Herpo the foul. Severus, do you know what a horcrux is?"

"The foulest piece of magic any human being could preform…are you telling me that Voldemort has created a horcrux?"

"No, Horcruxes, I believe he's created more than one. I also believe Regulus was killed while trying to destroy one."

"But…if he's left pieces of his soul behind…how could a baby 'vanquish' him?"

"Ah, you've hit our little snag. I do not yet know, Severus. All we can do is let the events play out."

Severus left with more questions than when he had come. Lily couldn't know about this. It would only worry her more. He arrived home several hours after he had left. Lily was waiting up for him. "What did he say? Did he tell you the prophecy?"

"No, he wouldn't let me know anything new. All I know is our Harry is in Danger."

Lily clutched her belly at the mention of Harry's name. Her due date was drawing closer, only two months to go. Something about Severus wasn't right. She knew he wasn't being truthful with her. She was the one person he could never completely block off. During their time together he had always been honest with her. But now he was too quiet and trying too hard to avoid her. He knew more than what he was saying and she was concerned. She had a right to know about her baby's future. She decided to drop the topic. She couldn't force him to open up. She could only hope that she'd be able to pry her way inside his mind when he was least expecting it.

It was a restless night for both of them. Lily was worried about Severus and Severus was worried about the prophecy. They didn't talk at all. He was trying to work things out in his head and she was busy hoping he'd open up to her.

The meeting with Dumbledore seemed to have changed Severus. He was more reserved than ever before. He spent a large part of his time reading and rereading the few books left in their possession. She didn't know what he hoped to gain from them but she was becoming increasingly worried. Severus was pulling away from her. Two weeks later she had had enough. Severus rarely spoke to her or his own daughter. He came to bed late every night and woke early every morning. He ate very little and showered very rarely. She didn't know who he was any more. Once again he had locked himself in their small study, pouring over a book for the thousandth time. She used her wand to let herself in. Unfortunately for Sev, she knew the counter curses for all his spells.

"Sev, I can't keep doing this. You need to let me in on this secret you have with Dumbledore. I have a right to know if it concerns our son." He ignored her, it was like she wasn't even there. "Your little girl has been asking for you. She misses her daddy. You spend every freaking day holed up in this room. I'm eight months pregnant and ginormous. I can barely take care of my self right now, let alone a 5 year old. You smell like old gym socks by the way." He turned and looked at her, truly looked at her for the first time in what felt like forever.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Anything other than read those books."

He tugged at his hair from stress then brushed it away from his face and leaned back. "I'm trying to keep us safe."

"By reading and neglecting the relationship with your family?"

"You think I'm reading these for fun? Because I enjoy it? Lily, I have been in here night and day for you, for us, for Harry."

"Harry's not even here yet!"

"We need to be prepared."

"Prepared for what? You won't bother to tell me the truth."

"Because I'm trying not to stress you out and make you more upset."

"Severus, this right here, what you've been doing, has stressed me out enough. You might as well tell me."

"I can't tell you. I can't tell you because I don't know either. Voldemort has horcruxes, Lily, more then one."

"And does anyone know where they are? Or even what they are?"

"No."

"In case you haven't noticed, Voldemort is very much alive right now. I'm sure Dumbledore is doing everything he can to find them. You staying holed up in this room isn't helping anyone. It certainly isn't helping me. I can't even see my own feet. I swear there is more than one kid in here. I am exhausted all the time. You do nothing but sit in here all day every day and your daughter is insane. I have never met a kid with that much energy. I need your help. I need you to stop stressing yourself out. I need you to be Severus again. We aren't the only family being targeted. I'm sure out of the whole of England there are more women than just us three who are due at the end of July. How do we even know the baby in the prophecy is English? We will figure out the horcruxes when that time comes but that time isn't now."

Severus looked at Lily. She truly was huge. He didn't remember Cassia ever getting that big, of course Lily had surpassed her. Octavia had been 8 weeks early and Lily only had six weeks left. She was right of course. The child coming to finish Lord Voldemort could be coming from anywhere. In fact the prophecy had never even specified a year. Severus packed up the books and put them away. "Why don't we take a walk?"

They walked through the forest behind their house. Octavia loved to point out all the birds and small animals in the trees. She loved Archimedes and Salem. She had surely gotten Cassia's love of creatures. It was great for all of them to get out into the fresh air on the warm June day. They stayed there hidden in the trees for several hours. Octavia clung to Severus. He hadn't spent much time with her lately and now she wanted him all to herself. She started getting tired and that was their signal to go home. He carried a sleeping Octavia home. He spent the next couple weeks taking care of the family he had been neglecting. Lily relaxed and prepared for the coming baby. Harry was due on August third. They prayed he would come then and no sooner. The prophecy spoke of a boy born at the end of July. If he was born in August that would mean he wasn't in danger, right?


	42. Chapter 42

Harris Potter was born in the early hours of July 25th to James and Catherine. Neville Longbottom came next on July 30th. Severus and Lily were overjoyed that it didn't seem like Harry would be coming by the end of July. They had made it to July 31st, only one day left to go. Their happiness was short lived. Severus was cooking dinner like always. Lily was in the other room with Octavia, or at least she was supposed to be. A terrified voice broke the silence in the kitchen "Severus." Severus turned to see Lily with a face of stone. "My water broke." This was it.

"Are you sure he's coming now? You can't…hold him in?"

"I would if I-" She winced in pain from a contraction. "Sev, he's coming right now." In one quick motion he turned off the stove and swept Lily into his arms. He carried her to their Bed and propped pillows up around her like she had shown him. They'd been over this a thousand times. The hospital was not an option. It was all up to him now. Water, I need water he thought.

"Ava! I need towels, lots and lots of towels!" He heard cupboards slamming through the house as the five year old searched for any towel she could find. When she could hold no more she went to her parent's bedroom. Severus pushed away all his fear when he saw her "Are you ready to meet your little brother?" She gave him a huge grin. "Can you do me a favor and comfort mummy?" Lily was screaming in pain. Octavia would give her a welcome distraction and keep Ava in view where she couldn't get into trouble. Lily squeezed Octavia's hand, careful not to squeeze too hard. "Thank you baby girl." She said in between gasps of pain. It felt like he was coming and coming now. What was taking so long?

"Lily…I thought the head was supposed to come first."

"It is! What's wrong?"

"Well I'm pretty sure his head doesn't have toes."

"Crap! He's breeched!"

"What do you want me to do?"

"I…I don't know. I think it's too late."

She was right. "Lily, honey. You're just going to have to push."

It was excruciatingly painful. She tried to focus on Ava's light blue eyes. Even now she was so beautiful. Lily was done, she couldn't push anymore, she just wanted to sleep. Everything hurt and she was exhausted.

"Just a little more. You can do it."

A few pushes later and the house was filled with the angry squealing of a newborn baby. Her whole body relaxed. It was finally over.

"Lils, he's gorgeous." Severus brought Harry to her before he did anything else.

"…He kind of looks like a potato, doesn't he?"

Severus laughed. "Yeah, he kinda does."

"He definitely has your hair."

"Thank goodness he didn't also get my nose."

"Hey, I love that big nose of yours."

"Someone has to. Here, let me go clean him up, just rest."

Lily didn't need to be told. It took everything she had to stay awake but she didn't want to sleep, not yet.

Severus came back in the room. "Harry, meet your Mama and big sister." He handed over the newly cleaned baby. Octavia looked at little Harry with wide eyes. She was fascinated by him. Severus and Lily helped her hold him for the first time.

"He's probably hungry." Lily said.

"Come on Ava, lets finish dinner and give mum some privacy." He ushered her out of the room and came back with the crib. "I'll be in in a bit to check on you. I'm proud of you." He gave her a long kiss. "You made a beautiful boy."

"No, Sev, WE made a beautiful boy. I'm proud of you too." Severus kissed Harry on top of the head before leaving the room.

When he came back to let her know dinner was ready he found them both asleep on the bed. He lifted little Harry out of her arms and placed him in his crib. It had been an exhausting day for all of them. Lily was still in the middle of the bed. Rather than disturb her he grabbed a pillow and blanket and planned to sleep on the couch. It was late, he put Octavia to bed after they had eaten and went to bed himself. He slept terribly. All he could picture were those red eyes. He'd never seen them himself but they found shape nonetheless. Severus hoped they'd be safe way out here, that they'd done enough. It was all they could do.

Harry Tobias Potter was born on July 31st at 9:34pm. He had a head full of black hair and Lily's bright green eyes. He was a good mix of both of his parents. He was 7 lbs 13oz and 22 inches long. His birth made both of his parents very happy. His birth also made Voldemort happy for now the hunt was on. He had three young boys to choose from. Three young boys with their whole life ahead of them and he was looking to take that all away.

The next meeting wasn't held until the beginning of September. Lily, Catherine, and Alice stayed together with the four children in a safe house while their husbands went to the meeting. It was best for everyone involved. Dumbledore had delayed the meeting for so long for a reason. By now all three women would have had their babies but by keeping the date in September no one would know when the babies were born. More importantly, Voldemort's spy wouldn't know.

The men returned late that night. Their wives immediately asked what had happened. Severus whisked Lily away without an explanation. This was a talk they needed to have in private. Octavia and Harry went to bed as soon as they arrived home.

"Alright, no more putting this off. Spill." Lily said.

He turned away. He couldn't look at her when he said it. He was a coward. "Lily, Dumbledore knows what happened to Regulus. He's known for some time and so have I although we don't know the specifics. Ever since his death the Order has been scrambling for any word of Voldemort. None of their other attempts have been successful. Lily…" He knew she was going to be furious. He hadn't even taken off his shoes as he planned to be kicked out of the house. Her face was filled with worry as she waited for him to continue. "Lily…after the meeting…I volunteered to be the new spy."

Immediate anger filled her eyes. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yes…I'm going to be a Death Eater."

The feeling of disbelief almost surpassed the feeling of anger. She didn't even know what question to ask first. "How…how will Voldemort ever believe you?"

"I've thought about this for some time so that I could work out all the kinks if I was going to do it. I never picked a side in school. I never sided with the Dark or the Light, never out loud. Dark magic has always fascinated me. Even when we were kids it was one of the first things I told you about. I married a Slytherin, a near Death Eater. I don't have any contact with old school mates. The only people who know I'm a part of the Order are in the Order. I have an explanation for nearly everything I can think of. I mastered occlumency years ago, I use it every day. I just have to convince the Dark Lord that what I'm saying is true. That I oppose Dumbledore."

"What about Harry? He's one of the babies being hunted, I'm afraid he may be THE baby the prophecy spoke of. If he had been born only 3 hours later it would have excluded him. If that doesn't fill the qualification of 'as the month dies' I don't know what does."

"I AM doing this for Harry. I'm trying to keep him safe, all of you. A baby that follows in his father's footsteps is unlikely to kill his father's master. I'm trying to throw suspicion off of Harry."

"And what about you? What about your life?"

"I don't have a life anymore. The day Octavia was born my life ended. Everything I have done since then has been for her and now it's for Harry too."

"What about me? Do I get a say?" It came out almost as a whisper. "If I'm not your life than what am I?"

"No, Lily, that's not what I meant." He walked over to her but she backed away. "You are my whole world, the love of my life, the mother of my children. My life didn't end because I lost Cassia. My life ended because I had a child. I don't say that as a bad thing. My life ended because it's no longer just about me and it hasn't been for a long time. Everything I do now I do with you three in mind."

She didn't know what to say or do. She sat on the couch and sobbed. Severus tried to console her but she wouldn't listen, wouldn't let him touch her.

"Lily, I won't be going into this blind or alone. Dumbledore and I already have plans. If he ever requests that I sacrifice you or the kids I'll sacrifice myself instead. This way the three of you get to live, maybe even me. If Voldemort finds us here he'll kill us all. We'll never even have a chance." There was still no reply from Lily.

"I'm smart, I always have been. Few people can create spells, few people can brew like I can. I know how to talk my way out of and around things. Lily, I can do this."

"Fine, go be the savior of the wizarding world. Hopefully he doesn't murder you before that happens." She stood and walked to their bedroom. She closed the door and turned the lock. It would do nothing to keep Severus out but it would signal that he wasn't wanted.

Severus didn't try and follow her. She needed her time. He didn't expect her to ever understand why he had to do this but still he felt that he had to do this. For Harry, for Octavia, For his dad, his mum, Fabian, Giddeon, the Bones family, Benjy Fenwick. Caradoc Dearborn, Regulus, for the muggles and wizards alike that had been killed by the madman. He could no longer stand idly by and watch the people he had grown to love be murdered.


	43. Chapter 43

They spent a lot of time apart after that. Lily rarely talked to him anymore, only when absolutely necessary. They shared a bed at night and tried not to change their day to day life. They wanted to make things as smooth as possible for Octavia but for now they were separated. There was still a lot of love between them but t was buried while the feelings of hurt and betrayal took over. Lily couldn't even look at him without anger bubbling up inside of her. Not only had he made a horrible decision but he had made it without her. How could Dumbledore allow a married man with two kids do this? There were several other members in the order who were single and childless. Why couldn't they be the ones to volunteer? Charlotte specifically came to mind.

Lily considered leaving the Order. She didn't know if she could continue to support Dumbledore and his group. If it wasn't for him Severus never would have done this. They'd been doing just fine without a spy. As far as she knew Dumbledore was tracking the current horcruxes with plans to destroy them. If he succeeded the war could end any day. The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord was here. The time was coming when the prophecy would be fulfilled. Severus felt as if he was throwing the attention off of their family but she felt like he was putting them even more into the spotlight. How would joining Voldemort keep the suspicion off of them? Especially where Harry had already been born. Severus was just so stupid sometimes.

As much as they had tried to act normal, Octavia had noticed. "Why don't you kiss mummy any more?"

Severus glanced at Lily for a second trying to find an acceptable answer. "Well…sometimes mummies and daddies don't always get along and they don't want to kiss."

"is that why you're not with my first mummy?"

Lily noticed the exasperated look on Severus' face. They'd been over this with her before.   
"Do you remember what happened to Papa?" His dad had been gone for two years now. It could have been long enough for her to forget.

She screwed up her face in thought. "He went to Heaven."

"That's right. That's where your other grandparents and Mum are too."

"Will I get to go to Heaven and see them?"

"One day when you're very old you can go visit but until then I want you right here with me."

"Will you go to Heaven?"

"Yes…but not yet. I want to be here with you and Harry."

"Did mummy not want to be here with me?"

"Oh, Octavia, no. She wanted to be here very much but she was needed there."

"I miss her."

"I miss her too."

"Severus, can I talk to you?" Lily asked. They walked to the kitchen where they could talk privately but still watch Ava. She sat in the kitchen chair and continued to breastfeed. They talked quietly.   
"Is it too late? Does Voldemort know you're joining him?"

"Lily, I'm not doing this again."

"Just answer the question."

"I don't know"

"Then change your mind, don't do this." Severus began walking out of the room. "She doesn't even remember Cassia." He stopped. "She barely remembers your dad or Cassia's parents. She is five years old. Do you want her to forget you too? I know you're doing this for us, you've said it a million times. But at what cost? How much are we going to have to lose in order to stay safe? What about Harry? He'll grow up never knowing who his father was. I can hang a picture over his crib like we did with Octavia but that's not the same as having you. What am I going to give him to remember you? A picture? Would you like to have only a picture to remind you of your father? What about all those memories you made with him? Of him breaking the swing and teasing you about your hair? Wouldn't you rather have those with your son? We can stay safe without joining Voldemort himself. Is there truly nothing else you can do? Have you talked to Dumbledore about finding the horcruxes? You can destroy a piece of Voldemort at a time. We can stop him before he ever gets to Harry. Even if he finds out where we live he can't get into the house, he cant even see the house. He'd have to kill Dumbledore and you know how impossible that would be for him."

"I'll think about it." Was all he said but it was the most she had gotten from him about this. She was slowly winning him over.

"Severus, even if you do join his side we need to figure this out before Octavia starts asking more questions. I'm absolutely furious with you, I have been for weeks now but you're still my husband and we vowed to be by one another. I don't want this to end, do you?"

"No, of course not. I love you, Lily."

"I love you too but we have a lot of work to do."

"I'll talk to Dumbledore. I'm not taking being a Death Eater completely off of the table though."

"All I ask is you consider it."

"I will. Would you be alright with the kids if I went for a walk?"

"Just be careful. I don't need you to stop being a Death Eater just to get mauled by a bear."

"I'm always careful. I have my wand and I'll use a disillusionment charm."

"Thank you." Lily finished and they both went their separate ways. After Severus had left Octavia piped up again. "Were you and daddy fighting?"

"No, we weren't. I promise."

"But he said you weren't getting along."

"We're trying to fix that."

Lily put Harry down for a nap and spent some quality time with Ava. They had a small outside area that was protected by the Fidelius charm. Lily sat on the porch with the front door open so she could hear Harry. She set magical boundaries for where the Fidelius charm ended. Octavia horsed around in the grass. Lily couldn't help but to notice how pale she was. She unfortunately had inherited that from Severus too. Octavia had looked so much like Severus when she was first born but as she grew older they could see more and more of her mother in her. Lily wondered how Harry would change. Octavia clearly didn't look like Lily, they shared no genes, but both she and Harry looked like Severus. Lily hoped that Harry would grow up to look more like her.

It was dark by the time Severus had returned. Lily had been getting worried, he'd been gone for several hours. Harry was already asleep and Lily had just taken Ava out of the bath when she heard the front door open. A naked and wet Octavia ran down the hall towards him. She was such a daddy's girl. They read stories together and played for a bit before it was time for bed. Harry was still sleeping in his parent's room. After Octavia was in bed an exhausted Severus sat on the couch.

"Are you hungry? I saved you some leftovers." Lily asked

He shook his head. He was thinking too much to be hungry. "I've been selfish."

"Yes, you have actually. You should have at least talked to me first."

"I know, I screwed up."

She sat on the couch next to him and grabbed his hand. It was the first sign of affection between them in weeks.

"I'll talk to Dumbledore about the Death Eater job but it may already be too late."

He apparated to Hogwarts the next day to speak to Dumbledore. Dumbledore had already began the initial process of spreading the word. Charlotte had reached out to her Death Eater friends and told them she knew of a possible recruit. Word had begun to spread that Severus was going to fight for the Dark. It was too late to fix his mistake. Instead they brain stormed ways to keep his family safe. Severus was there for hours. He didn't come home until late. Lily was up waiting for him.

"What did he say?"

"We're getting a divorce."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"That's our cover up. Unfortunately we haven't done a good job at hiding the growing distance between us. Dumbledore would like us to use that to our advantage. I'm going to stop coming to Order meetings. We're going to pretend we're splitting up. No one knows that Dumbledore has found another spy let alone that it's me."

"So this means you're going to be a Death Eater? You couldn't get out of it?"

"No, unfortunately not. It's too late.

Lily was downcast. She had truly hoped he wouldn't do this but the deed was done. There was nothing either of them could do now. They went to bed silently, yet again. Things weren't ending, at least not in reality but she needed some space. She wasn't ready to forgive him for what he had done.

The next Order meeting was the next week. She had never gone alone before and left Severus home. She didn't have to pretend to be angry with him or sad for she already was. Severus stayed home with the kids. She'd bring him word of what happened when she returned home. She was quiet all through the meeting, didn't offer any ideas or help. Remus came up to her afterward.

"Are you alright, Lily?"

"No, not really. Severus and I are having problems...we're separated at the moment. I don't know if it's something we can fix." Lily hated lying to Remus. They were separated but with no actual plans of divorce. Even Remus couldn't know what they were up to.

"Did something happen?"

Actual tears welled up in her eyes. "He's decided to become a Death Eater."

"WHAT?!" Remus shrieked as soon as she had finished. Several other members turned to look at them.

"He's been thinking about it for a while I guess. He doesn't support Dumbledore's way of doing things."

"What about you? What about his kids?...What about the prophecy?"

"I don't know. I've asked all the same questions. We've fought over it for some time now."

He hugged Lily tightly "I'm so sorry, Lils."

She hugged him back and let her tears fall on his chest. He was tall like Severus.

"Is there anything I can do? Do you want me to change his mind?"

"N-no" she choked "It's too late."

"I'll kill him."

"Remus, don't do this. He's still my husband."

"Not for long."

She couldn't disagree with that. He let her go and she left without another word. She returned home with puffy, red eyes and a red nose. Severus immediately asked what was wrong even though he could probably guess.

"I told Remus we're separated, getting divorced. He said he's going to kill you." She said in a quiet voice so only Severus could hear.

Severus chuckled. Remus wouldn't hurt a fly, not in human form anyway. Lily glared at him. "It's not exactly a lie you know." He couldn't argue that. He gestured for her to come sit by him on the couch. She shook her head no and walked to their bedroom alone. Half an hour later they had a visitor at their door, Dumbledore. Severus let the ancient man in.

"Hello, Severus, is Lily here? I'd like to speak to her in private." Severus left him standing in the doorway and went to fetch his wife. She came out a few minutes later bundled up in a robe with a tear stained face.

"Lily, I'm sorry you had to do that."

"You should be. How dare you use my husband as a spy. Do you have kids? Do you know what it's like to watch your spouse turn to the other side and leave you?"

The light in Dumbledore's eyes dimmed. She had hit a sore spot. Dumbledore invited himself into the rest of the house and took a seat.

"Lily, do you know who Gellert Grindlewald is?"

The name sounded familiar but she didn't know why. She shook her head no.

"He currently resides in Nurmengard, his own prison."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"When he was a young boy he moved into Godric's Hollow with his aunt. He became very close to another young boy in the neighborhood and eventually they even fell in love. Grindlewald was a good man at the time but he had a fascination for the dark arts. Him and this other boy wanted to travel the world together, fight for the greater good." Dumbledore looked down at his lap, he no longer looked like the strong man he was. "They got in over their heads and the other boy's sister was killed because of it. After that he fled Godric's Hollow. He terrorized the wizarding world in his own way, much like Voldemort does today. He was eventually stopped and taken to Nurmengard where he'll live out the rest of his life." Dumbledore finished but Lily was still very confused. "Lily, I was that other boy. We had made so many plans together for our future. I forgot about my family, I put them in danger. Because of my actions my Father died in Azkaban and my mother and sister were killed. I made all the wrong choices in life when I was younger and my family was sacrificed because of it. Eventually, I was the one who stopped Grindlewald. War has caused me to lose everyone I've ever loved, even him." The room was quiet. Dumbledore spoke up again several minutes later. "Lily, I know this is hard. I know this is not what you pictured your life to be. But remember you very nearly followed the wrong path. I watched you bully other children and use dark magic. When Severus spoke to you, to bring you back to the light it was because he loved you. If he continued the path he is on now he will be protecting your family. If he joins Lord Voldemort he can still protect you and many others. He has made the decision to risk his life so that others can live. So that children can grow up with their parents, so that parents don't have to watch their children die. He is trying to make this world a better place for all of us. By doing this he is not only protecting Harry but protecting Neville and Harris as well. This was not an easy decision for him but he is willing to risk everything for you, for his daughter, and for his new son. Regulus was a wonderful person and the world was better without him but I believe Severus will be able to do more than Regulus ever could have. Severus is a skilled wizard and he's smart. He will figure out how to stay on Voldemort's good side and out of suspicion. Unfortunately sometimes in war we have to make the ultimate sacrifices to save the ones we love."

Lily didn't know what to say. She'd received so much information at once. "I don't want to lose him."

"If you two continue on fighting this way you will. Severus has made mistakes. This should have been a decision between the two of you. When he spoke to me about it I wasn't aware he hadn't even discussed it with you. But we're all human. This decision has been weighing heavily on his mind. He didn't come to a conclusion without thinking about it, quite the contrary. He's thought of how to fix every loop hole. He has found every way to keep you hidden. He even spoke to me about finding some kind of magical beast to help guard the house. I told him Salem was sufficient, being a kneazle. They are great creatures to use as protection. Lily, my point of all this nonsense is that this wasn't a spur of the moment thing. He is doing everything he can to protect his family."

Lily nodded, she had started crying again. She'd been so hard on Sev about the decision. "Thank you, Professor."

"I know that you spoke with Remus tonight about getting divorced. I'm sure that wasn't easy. If you'd like I can announce it to the Order. You won't have to worry about telling anyone else."

"I would like that."

Dumbledore stood up to leave and Lily walked him to the door. After he'd left she made her way to her bedroom where she found Severus cradling a sleeping Harry. She had been foolish to think that he didn't care. Octavia had been his life since she was born and now Harry was too. She still wasn't happy about the idea of Severus working directly for Lord Voldemort but speaking to Dumbledore had helped. Severus had tried to explain all of this to her but she wouldn't listen. She climbed on the bed next to him and Harry and laid her head on Severus' chest. He was almost asleep. "I'm so sorry." She whispered. He turned his head to look at her and gave her a gentle kiss. She didn't try to back up this time or push him away. She took baby Harry from his arms and placed him in his crib. They both got under the covers and prepared to sleep. He slept with his arm around her for the first time in weeks and she not only let him but she enjoyed it. Instead of falling asleep separated like so many previous nights, they fell asleep as one. Just before they drifted off he whispered I love you."


	44. Chapter 44

Today was the day. From now on he would be marked forever. There was no going back, no escaping. He would forever be a Death Eater. He'd met with a couple of the top Death Eaters already to prove his worthiness. They had been masked to hide their identities. He was told to brew several potions to see if he was as good as he said he was. Among them were the draught of living death and polyjuice potion. There was another brewing at home that wouldn't be finished for another four months, felix felicis. He'd had to go through many tests to prove that he was worth investing in. He gave over a few of his more minor spells that he had created. He'd never hand over sectumsempra. It was too dangerous. For his last test they made him torture and kill an animal of their choosing. It still gave him nightmares. He regretted that more than anything else in his life but he knew he'd do much worse in the near future. For now all he could hope was that it hadn't been someone's pet. That event had scarred him emotionally. He didn't speak to any one for several days, trying to process what he had done.

Now he stood in front of a full length mirror and fiddled with the many buttons on his robe. He tried to stop the shaking. He was afraid Voldemort would take advantage of his fear. He'd been practicing occlumeny more leading up to this day. He brought old memories to the surface of him using dark magic or being involved, some of them were a stretch but he had to be prepared. It was now late at night. He hadn't seen his children for several days, he didn't want Lord Voldemort to see their faces. Severus pretended they didn't exist. He'd also dwelled on the many fights he'd had with Lily. They would help Voldemort believe they were getting divorced. As one last final measure, he and Dumbledore had staged arguments and him being kicked out of the order. He'd done everything but he felt as though it wasn't enough.

Lily entered their bedroom with tearful eyes. She was afraid this would be the last time she'd ever see him. It very well could be if Voldemort found out the truth. They were both terrified. She gave him a long, tender kiss. As if it truly was goodbye. Severus wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'll be fine, don't worry." She nodded her head. "I don't know how long this will take. I may be home in minutes, it may be days. Try not to worry yourself. I love you. Tell the kids I love them too." He pressed his forehead to hers and sighed. "I better go." Lily gave him one last, tight hug and followed him out the door. She stared at the spot he'd been standing for a long while after he left.

Severus landed outside an old, abandoned warehouse in what he presumed to be Derby. He'd barely gotten a glance of the exterior before he was hit by langlock and incarcerous spells. A black hood was pulled over his head and he was dragged into the building. Someone forced him into a chair. The ropes around him were released and he was bound to the chair instead. There was no escaping now. A hand roughly pulled the hood from his head and he opened his eyes to see a dimly lit room. He could see no features of the room or people around him, only shadows. He heard a door open and heavy footsteps entering the room. The Dark Lord was here.

"Ah, Severus Snape. We meet at last." Voldemort lifted the langlock curse.

Severus didn't know how to address him and simply said "my Lord".

Voldemort gave a small, airy laugh, if you could call it that. "Smart man, Mr. Snape. It has been brought to my attention that you would make a very valuable asset to our cause. I have here two potions that you made for us. I'll save the draught of living death incase you prove yourself to he unworthy but I believe we'll test a bit of polyjuice. You didn't tamper, it did you?"

"Of course not, Lord, it is perfect."

"Not a humble man, are we Snape?"

"No, Lord."

Severus heard chunks being poured into a glass, the polyjuice potion. "It will do you well to know when to take credit and when to give it to your master."

"Yes, Lord."

"Yaxley, fetch some hair from the muggle in room 3."

Severus heard footsteps leaving the room. A moment later there was a scream. Surely a chunk of hair had been ripped from the man's head. The footsteps came back "Here you are, my Lord."

A pale hand gave the sickening drink to Severus. It smelled like sour milk, tasted like it too. He sputtered as he tried to choke down the drink. It wasn't long until he felt his body changing. The man he was transforming into was smaller than him. His robes bagged on his shrunken figure. "Filthy muggle." He said when the change was complete. Voldemort gave another forced laugh. Severus bad been unprepared. The Dark Lord entered his mind with no warning. This was why he had practiced so hard. He had to show memories the Dark Lord wanted while hiding others completely. Memories of Lily flirted through his mind, as children, as young adults, fights, tender moments, everything. Cassia came next, he hadn't expected her. "Who's the girl?" Voldemort's high voice whispered in Severus' mind.

"She was an old girlfriend" Severus replied through thought.

"Where is she now?" Voldemort asked again

"Dead. She died while we were attending Hogwarts."

"How?"

Severus fought to push away the remorse. He showed Voldemort the memory from the hospital, of waking up to see her surrounded by doctors. He managed to leave out anything about Octavia and Voldemort moved on, uninterested.

"The girl, she was a mudblood."

Voldemort halted his search, clearly angry about his relationship with a muggleborn.

"We began dating before I know any better, before I knew how dirty she was. Her death freed me of her filth. Last year, my Lord, you managed to kill her parents as well. The whole family is gone." Severus felt the anger lift. That had been enough.

Next came the death of his father, when Eileen had knocked on their door injured and he had gone for his father's body. His father of course was a muggle. "Explain" said Voldemort.

"He was my father. He was killed in a Death Eater attack. I had no choice in who my mother married but I resent her for that choice."

"This means you are a half blood?"

"Yes, my Lord."

Severus let memories of his father yelling at him float through his mind. His father rarely yelled but when he did it was for good reason and he was intense. Other memories of his childhood came to mind. He showed Voldemort all the times Lily had been bullied by muggles. Anything that would put muggles in a bad light Severus used to his advantage.

Last but not least came Dumbledore and meetings with the Order. This part had been planned. There were certain memories of the meetings that Dumbledore allowed him to use. Severus showed Voldemort the day he had joined, the day Charlotte had joined, that Regulus had been a spy, and past meetings where they had made plans to fight Voldemort's presence.

"What were your duties in the Order?" Voldemort asked

"I was a potions maker."

"That's all? You never fought?"

"No, my Lord. I was always behind the lines. I didn't wish to fight the people I agreed with. Dumbledore offered me an opportunity to research potions and I took it. I never supported the light."

The session ended as quick as it began. The lights in the room lifted with a flick of Voldemort's wand. He approved of Severus. "Welcome our newest recruit" Voldemort said with a tight grin. Severus' left arm was forced away from the chair. Voldemort used his wand to carve the intricate snake and skull pattern into his skin. It was detailed and took a long time. It took everything Severus had left not to scream in pain. His binds were released and Severus slumped forward in the chair. Legilimancy was exhausting and this session had been longer than he'd ever experienced.

"Go home, Snape, go to your wife and children." Severus felt his heart seize, how did Voldemort know about his kids? Harry he could understand but how had he learned about Octavia? Severus had been careful to keep his family out of his mind. The Dark Lord continued "We will summon you when your duties have been decided. You will come when called or you will die." Voldemort gave a dramatic turn and left the room. Severus was released. He was allowed to walk out of the building bind free and of his own volition. The polyjuice had worn off by now

Severus apparated as soon as he was allowed. He first apparated to a field near his old home in Cokeworth. He dashed to another spot a ways away before apparating to the first home he and Lily had shared. He again ran to another spot before apparating home. He didn't want anyone following him. All the lights were off in the house. It must have been late. He used his wand to unlock the door and promptly collapsed on the couch. Lily hurried out of their bedroom. "Sev! Are you okay?! She threw herself on him.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm just tired."

"What did he do to you?"

"Legilimency mostly. It just takes a lot of energy and that's without trying to deceive him." He left out the fact Voldemort wanted to use his draught of living death on him. Severus rolled up his left sleeve. The dark mark was currently nothing but blisters. Lily gasped and left the room. She came back with murtlap essence and applied it to his arm. He winced when she touched it.

"Come on, lets get you to bed." She lifted Severus from the couch and they stumbled their way to the bedroom. He was a lot bigger than she was and she struggled to move him. She sat him down and helped him undress. She leaned him back and pulled the covers over him. She climbed in bed and tried to kiss him goodnight but he was already snoring. She cried herself to sleep that night. Voldemort had already done a number on him and Severus hadn't even done anything to deserve it. He'd convinced her so many years ago not to be Death Eater and now he'd taken her place instead.


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Sol, glide high baby.

A few days after his meeting with Voldemort, Severus was holding Harry when his new dark mark began to burn. The pain of it was intense and it made him jump waking Harry in the process.

"Lily! I need to go! NOW!" He yelled while trying to coddle a screaming Harry. Lily rushed from the other side of the house. He gave her one quick kiss as he handed over Harry and ran out the door to apparate. He arrived outside of the same warehouse as before but this time he wasn't bound, blindfolded, and gagged. He hesitantly walked into the building, unsure of what to expect. No one was wearing hoods this time. It was the first time he'd seen their faces and he had known so many of them. The members were mostly Slytherins but he recognized a few people from other houses as well. It was sad to see so many people he had known turn evil.

He was ushered into the same room as before. This time the lights had been lifted but it was still darker than usual to promote suspense and fear. He was seated into the same chair as last time but remained a free man. Across from him he could see the blazing red eyes of Voldemort.

"My Lord, you have called for me?"

"Yes, Snape, it seems some of our members have brought up suspicions about you."

Severus gulped, he was a dead man.

"Is it true you once talked your wife out of being a Death Eater?"

Severus didn't know why he bothered asking. Voldemort had entered his mind before finishing the question. Severus felt Voldemort's anger grow as he watched the memory. There was no way for Severus to make the memory seem as though he hadn't been opposing Voldemort at the time.

"Crucio!" Voldemort shouted. Severus' body was instantly riddled with pain. He slid from his chair convulsing and writhing across the floor. When the torment was over he gasped for air. He'd landed hard on his back and knocked the wind out of himself. He eased himself back into the chair.

"My…Lord…" He tried to compose himself "I was a boy. I didn't realize how wrong I had been. It is an honor to carry your mark."

He was answered by silence and felt his anxiety grow. "My wife, she was bullied in her house during our time at Hogwarts. Her bullies supported your ideals. I was afraid for her to be with the same people who were hurting her. Not because of you or your followers but because I loved her."

"Love" Voldemort scoffed "What a silly muggle idea. What do you believe now, Severus?"

"My Lord, I believe I chose the right path by following you. That you will be able to lead us out of this darkness and into a better world without mudblood filth. When I opposed you it was because I didn't know any better. I have learned my lesson and come to your side. My Lord, my wife and I will soon be no more. We believe in separate things and neither one of us can support the other. We're getting divorced."

"What about your children?" The Dark Lord asked.

"I do not yet know, my Lord. I am willing to give up custody so that I may better serve you."

"The date of your son's birth has been brought to my attention."

"My Lord?"

Voldemort let out a small chuckle "I see Dumbledore doesn't trust his followers with all the information."

"My Lord, I'm unaware of which you speak."

"Snape, we have found a duty for you but first you will relinquish the location of your family."

Severus felt panic run through him. "My Lord, I can't-" He was hit with another Crucio before he could finish. This time he hit his ribs and head on the way down.

"Can you now?" Voldemort asked as he ended the spell.

"No, My Lord. It is not up to me. My soon to be ex-wife and kids are protected by a fidelius charm. Voldemort once again invaded his mind to see if he was telling the truth.

"Mr. Snape, I believe you are truly one of us but until you prove your devotion we will be placing you on probation. If this probation is violated, you will be terminated. I should inform you that our dear Bellatrix enjoys playing with her prey. You will show up when you are called and you will do what is asked of you. You won't receive any duties until we know you can be trusted." Voldemort stood and left the room. Severus painfully pushed himself up from the floor and limped away. He apparated twice like last time. He always would before going home. He arrived in front of his door and pushed it open. He barely made it into the house before collapsing. Octavia let out a screech. "Daddy!" Lily placed a muffliato on the children and rushed to his side. The three of them had been in the front room when he arrived.

"Severus!" She gasped. "What happened?!"

"A certain unforgivable curse." He moaned.

She released the muffliato spell. "Octavia, take your brother into your room while I take care of Daddy. Ill be right there." She helped Severus stand and stumbled under his weight. She was able to move him to the couch and sat him down.

"Let me look at you. What hurts?"

"I hit my back, ribs and head. My head is killing me."

She ran her hands through his hair, examining his head. She pulled out her hand which was sticky from blood. She sent an urgent patronus to Dumbledore. He arrived a moment later, much sooner than she'd expected him. When she answered the door Madam Pomfrey was standing there with Dumbledore. She let them inside and the women went to work with healing spells. Dumbledore spoke to Severus about what had happened and Lily listened in horror. Severus gave over several names of previously unknown Death Eaters. The whole experience would be very helpful for the Order. The problem was introducing the information with the rat still in their ranks. Order meetings were getting harder and harder to give necessary information without also passing it to Voldemort. The women finished healing him but he still felt very weak and tired. Dumbledore helped him into the bedroom while Lily fetched the children to let them know everything was fine. A tearful Octavia climbed into bed next to Severus and cuddled up to him. Harry, being a baby, was oblivious to what had happened.

The visitors left and Severus promptly fell asleep. Lily slept very little. She was worried they had missed something and he wouldn't wake up. His snores were comforting since they let her know he was still alive. His wellbeing was far from the only thing on her mind. Voldemort had asked for their location. He was already planning on tracking them down. Severus was practically handing him the key to the door. She knew this would happen.

He woke up the next day feeling better but off. He'd broken a rib and cracked his skill open but Lily and Madame Pomfrey were able to fix him up. He spent a lot of time with his kids that day. Lord Voldemort seemed hell bent on taking them away. Severus hoped he didn't know the true day of Harry's birth. No one knew, they had kept the date a secret from the Order. He had no idea how anyone would have found out. He held his children close while he still could. Lily was clearly nervous about it too but she had kept to herself. She hadn't brought up the previous day at all. He was concerned for her.

Octavia hadn't slept much either the night before. She'd climbed in bed with them to be by her Dad. Lily put her and Harry down for a much needed nap and they went to bed themselves. Magic could only do so much. Although he was healed, his body had taken a hit and he needed time to rest. He held her close to him while they lay in bed together and silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I'm scared, Sev."

"Me too, Lily, me too."

Dumbledore announced their "divorce" at the next Order meeting. Lily acted distraught, trying to make it seem as real as possible. She didn't have to try hard with everything that had happened to her Sev. She was approached by several members after the meeting. Everyone was appalled and surprised at him changing sides. He'd been a big help for the Order and saved a lot of lives with his potions. Those most especially surprised were the members their age. The older members had never really talked to him or known him but were shocked onetheless.

Lily and Severus had discussed Remus the night before their meeting. If Remus believed Severus had turned bad he wouldn't be able to continue researching the wolfsbane potion which had been of great benefit to Remus so far. They weren't concerned about Remus being Voldemort's spy. He'd always been a wonderful person and friend. Together they came to the decision to tell Remus the truth. When Lily was done discussing her pending, fake divorce she approached Remus.

"Remus" She interrupted his conversation with Peter. "I'm sorry, but could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure? I'll talk to you tomorrow Peter."

"I'm sorry to break up the conversation" She said once they were alone.

"It's okay, trust me. All he ever does is complain. You rescued me."

Lily smiled "Are you free tonight?"

"Um, yeah, why?"

"There's something I'd like to show you."

She had brought a slip of paper with their address for Remus to read. She handed it to him and he looked at it confused. "What's this for?"

"Come with me." She grabbed his hand and led him out of the house where they disapparated.

They landed outside the home she shared with Severus.

"Is there where you live?" He asked with a frown.

She nodded as she cast an unlocking charm on the door. They stepped inside where Severus was watching the muggle news on TV. He was holding Harry and Octavia was playing on the floor.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Remus whispered in her ear.

"Remus, it's all a lie. He's Dumbledore's new spy."

"Wait, so are you a" he looked at the kids."…an Eater?"

Severus pulled up his left sleeve revealing the healing dark mark. "Sadly, yes, but I'm not on his side. I'm still a part of the Order but NO ONE can know Remus. If the rat in the group hears it I'm dead, literally. That's why Dumbledore told everyone I'd 'changed side's' and why were supposedly getting divorced. Which is also not happening."

Remus laughed. "You sly dog. I'm surprised Lily is okay with it."

"Well…she's not…we were actually separated for a few months but we're working on fixing things." He stood and handed a 5 month old Harry to Lily.

"And this, is Harry" Lily said beaming. She hadn't gotten to show him off to anyone other than her mum, Eileen, and Dumbledore.

"He's beautiful. He has his mother's eyes."

"They're pretty good eyes to have." Severus gave Lily a small smile to which she blushed. She said goodbye to Remus and went to the other room to feed a hungry Harry.

"Well, I'm glad to hear you didn't join you-know-who." Commented Remus.

"Remember, no one can know, not even the other 3 guys."

"I know, I know, this isn't the first secret from you I've kept, remember?" He glanced at Octavia.

"Remus, I'd like to continue our research again. I've had a lot of time to think lately and I have some ideas for it. I'll discuss it with you sometime soon."

"Actually, Severus, I'm going undercover myself. Dumbledore wants me to infiltrate the werewolves. As much as I'd love continuing the wolfsbane, it'll have to wait."

"I'm sorry to hear that. When you're ready we'll continue working towards a cure."

"I'll keep in touch. Thank you for telling me the truth. Don't get on you-know-who's bad side."

"His good side isn't any better. I've already been on the receiving end of that a few times."

"Well, stay alive at least. Tell Lily goodbye for me."

"You stay alive too with those werewolves. I'll tell her."

"Thanks, I'll try." Remus said. Severus opened the door for Remus and said goodbye. He found Lily in the kid's bedroom.

"Sev?" She asked hesitantly. What do you think about having another one of these?

"You are a baby person, aren't you? Why don't we make sure we can keep that one alive first? Maybe in a few months."

"I can agree to that. Just make sure you stay alive long enough."

"Don't remind me. Do you want to practice when the kids go to bed?" He flashed a grin at her.

"Absolutely." She replied with a kiss.


	46. Chapter 46

Severus felt the call of his mark two weeks into the new year. He apparated, once again, to the same warehouse and entered the dimly lit room. The only difference this time was the meeting wasn't about him. Instead of a single, torture chair, he found a long table with Death Eaters seated around it. They were all wearing their masks again. Something was up. This was a private meeting, why would they need masks? He took a seat in the empty chair and waited with the others for everyone to arrive.

Voldemort addressed his followers with his high pitched, whisper like voice. There were no warm greetings or welcomes. He got straight to the point.

"I believe we have located the house of the Longbottom family in Devon. It has been under watch for some time now. We are here to plan the attack and capture of the Longbottoms. First and foremost, no one is allowed to harm the baby. You will save him for me. If that doesn't happen you know the consequences. I want him brought to me alive. Do as you wish to his blood traitor parents and anyone who gets in our way. Lucius?"

"Yes, my Lord?" Severus looked to where the blonde man was sitting. He'd heard that Lucius and Narcissa had had a baby of their own. It had to be around the same age as his own son. Severus didn't understand how Lucius could participate in the capture and murder of a small child and his family when he had one of his own.

"You will be in charge of selecting who goes on the raid. Use your judgement wisely or you will answer for it."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Severus?"

It was the first time Voldemort had used his first name. He felt a tingle of fear throughout his body. "My Lord?"

"This will determine your probation. You have been a faithful servant over the past few weeks. I have received no signs that you are passing information to Dumbledore. I think putting you up against your old colleagues and friends will be a great way to determine your worth."

Severus swallowed hard. He didn't want to do this. He paid very little attention to the remainder of the meeting or planning the sabotage.  _ For Harry _ he repeated over and over in his mind. _ I'm doing this for Harry. _ He had to get used to the idea of injuring and killing people especially those he had once known and loved but he didn't know if he ever could.

The worry followed him home. He sent an urgent patronus to Dumbledore. He needed to be aware the Longbottoms had been found. Severus was concerned for his own safety. If the Death Eaters were ambushed by the Order, Voldemort would kill him. The Dark Lord was already suspicious of him. He had been the only previous order member to join the Death Eaters and he was new. It was unlikely that Voldemort would suspect anyone else.

Severus hadn't entered his home yet. He wasn't sure if he wanted Lily to know of tonight's events. He didn't share everything with her. Partly to keep her safe and partly to not worry her. He knew she would insisted on learning about tonight's meeting. He was obviously disturbed about the new development. He stood rooted to his spot shaking and felt sick to his stomach. They'd found the Longbottoms so quickly and so easily. Who's to say his family wasn't next?

Voldemort knew how the fidelius charm worked, his own headquarters was protected by one. Severus assumed Voldemort was his own secret keeper. He was too distrusting of everyone to delegate someone else to the job. It was smart of him really.

Severus' thoughts were interrupted by a misty blue phoenix who spoke with Dumbledore's voice. "Come to my office immediately". Severus cast a disillusionment charm on himself before apparating to Hogsmeade. He didn't want to risk being seen. He found Dumbledore already waiting for him by the gates to Hogwarts. Severus sent another Patronus to let him know he was there. Dumbledore seemed surprised to see a patronus appear out of thin air only a few feet away and head straight for him. When he heard Severus' voice he gave a small chuckle and gestured for Snape to follow him. They walked in silence to Dumbledore's office. It would do no good for Dumbledore to be seen speaking to someone practically invisible. Once they reached the office Severus undid the spell. Dumbledore was shocked to see the kind of state he was in. He had dark circles under his eyes and stubble growing on his chin. He wasn't necessarily a hygienic man but he always looked put together. To top it off he was shaking slightly. Dumbledore urged him to sit and offered him a cup of tea. Severus accepted it but it remained untouched.

"They know where the Longbottoms are." Severus Blurted. "They're planning an attack for next Sunday at midnight, when he thinks they'll be the least prepared."

"Do they know who the secret keeper is or the location?"

"He didn't say but he was confident they lived in Devon."

Dumbledore smiled. "Did they mention where exactly in Devon?"

"No, I don't think everyone is allowed all the details…Sir? Why are you smiling?"

Dumbledore ignored his question. "Who was there? Did you recognize anyone?"

"N-no… they all had masks on." Severus said confused.

"And what about you?"

"I haven't received one yet. What's going on?"

"Severus, I think this is yet another test. I can assure you that the Longbottoms are not in Devon. They live somewhere else entirely and so does their secret keeper. I think Voldemort wants to see if this information is passed to us. If the Order members show up in Devon on the night of the attack he will know that someone leaked information and I'm sure it won't take long to figure out who. No one was recognizable to you, you won't be able to implicate anyone to me. It's just another security measure for them."

"But what if you're wrong? He may believe the Longbottoms are living there and it may cost the lives of muggles for no reason if he attacks."

"I will station a few of our lesser known Order members throughout Devon starting tomorrow. Not even you know all of our members, Severus. I don't like to place all my eggs in one basket. We'll keep an eye on any suspicious behavior but for now I believe there is nothing for you to worry about."

A wave of relief washed over him. The advice was sound, that all did sound more practical. "Sir, there are some other things I wish to discuss."

"What are they?"

"I apparated tonight under the disillusionment charm, as you know. If there had been Death Eaters in Hogsmeade and I had been seen coming to you after the meeting, I would be killed. I intend on doing the same thing in the future. Clearly, calling me by my name would make the whole thing pointless. I would like to ask that you use a nickname during these times."

Dumbledore nodded "I think that's a wise idea."

"I was thinking, Robin." Severus blushed. "There's this muggle kids movie called 'Robin Hood'. In it Robin is a fox. Not only do I think it would be fitting with my Patronus, but Death Eaters are unlikely to know anything about muggles. Robin is also a normal, unisex name. I don't think it'll raise suspicions."

"Robin Hood is an old tale, Severus. I'm a Half Blood myself and have heard of it before. Robin steals from the rich to give to the poor and that is precisely what you are doing. You are stealing information from Voldemort to give to us. I think it is a very fitting nickname indeed."

"There is one more thing. I told Voldemort that I don't support you or like you. If he finds out you are our secret keeper he'll know that I'm lying. I was wondering if we could use a second secret keeper to hide your identity?"

Dumbledore put a finger to his chin in thought. "Typically the fidelius charm is used to hide locations but it can be used to hide any secret you'd like. It's not commonly used for that purpose and I doubt he would expect you to do that. I'm assuming you already have someone in mind?"

"Yes, Remus Lupin. He is the only other person who knows our true situation and he has been a dear friend to Lily and I. I trust him with my family's lives. I haven't spoken to him about it though."

Dumbledore nodded. "I think that's a good idea. I'll speak to him about it tomorrow. I must ask you to keep this conversation between us and your family. There is no point to cause unnecessary worries or suspicion. I'll speak with the Longbottom family and we'll begin securing Devon. I'll be in touch. Thank you, Severus."

"Thank you, Albus." Severus recast the disillusionment charm and left the castle. He apparated home with his worries under control. He could this.

Lily had been worried sick, she always was when his mark burned. She always wondered if that would be the last time she saw him. This time he was gone a lot longer than usual and she couldn't stop thinking about what may have happened to him. Almost four hours after he had left she heard the door open. She'd been waiting in the front room for him.

"What took so long?" It burst out of her mouth before he was even in the house.

He closed the door and sat by her on the couch "I'm sorry, I had to meet with Dumbledore. I had some stuff to discuss with him about the meeting."

"What happened?"

He hesitated "I'm not sure you want to know"

"I'll come up with my own ideas about the meeting. I'd prefer to know the truth."

He sighed "Okay. Voldemort thinks he's found the Longbottoms."

She gasped "No!"

"And he wants me to go on the raid."

She just stared at him. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yeah, that was my reaction too. I went straight to Dumbledore. He doesn't think Voldemort is telling the truth. He thinks it just another test for me. Even if it isn't it sounds like they have the wrong location."

"I hope it's just a test. I hope Dumbledore's not wrong and Voldemort's not lying."

"So do I. Dumbledore is still putting some protections in place just to be safe. I also talked to him about some extra security measures for us. He's going to talk to Remus about being our second secret keeper." He put his arms around her.

"I'll take all the help we can get. I just wish it would end already. I'm so tired of being cooped up in the house and living in fear. I want our lives back."

"So do I. I don't want Voldemort to find the Longbottoms but I'm also ready for him to be vanquished. Our whole life has been about him, I'm ready for it to be about us."

"Our mums haven't been over in quite a while. Why don't we ask if they can babysit and we can go out for once?"

"What if someone recognizes us?"

"Oh, Sev. What kind of wizard are you? Did you forget about Transfiguration? I've always thought you'd look good blonde."

"No. Absolutely not. I'll give you dark brown but that's it."

She gave him a kiss "I'll take it. I'll call mum tomorrow."


	47. Chapter 47

Their date was set for Wednesday. Lily had given Severus short brown hair and a goatee. She had received a blonde pixie cut and blue eyes. They looked quite a bit different. It was strange to look at the person you loved and have them be someone else entirely. Severus surprised her by taking her to a fancy restaurant in London. The light inside was dim, a piano was playing, and the food was exorbitantly expensive. It was a romantic night out, at least it was supposed to be. Out of the corner of his eye Severus saw a bright flash outside the window.

"Lily…did you see that?" He asked

"Hmm? See what?" She asked as she took another bite. There was a second flash, she saw it this time. "That…that doesn't look like a car…"

"No…it doesn't. I think we should leave." He slapped muggle money on the table to pay for their meals and grabbed her hand. They headed to the restrooms to disapparate.

"Severus, what are you waiting for?" She looked up at him to see his eyes wide with fear.

"Lily, Death Eaters are here. They've put up anti apparition wards. We can leave." He looked around frantically, searching for a place to hide.

"Sev, we have to-

"Ah!" He gripped his left arm "He's calling me. Hide, use a disillusionment charm, something, just get out of here and stay alive."

She gave him a quick kiss "You too." She cast the charm and disappeared in the chaos that was beginning.

Severus ran out through the back door and undid the transfiguration charms. He quickly transformed his muggle clothing into his usual robes and ran to the front of the building. There were still a few Death Eaters apparting in just outside of the wards and joining the fight. Severus looked around agitatedly for the Dark Lord. He had called him, he must be here. Severus' arm burned more intensely as the call was left unanswered. The Dark Lord wasn't here and Severus couldn't leave. He had been told what would happen to him if he didn't come when called. He ran into the battle. The other Death Eaters needed to see him and be able to corroborate his story. He grabbed the arm of the nearest Death Eater. The man flipped around in surprise and prepared to aim a curse. "Severus! What are you doing here?!" It was the voice of Lucius Malfoy

"I was here, having dinner when you showed up. The Dark Lord is calling me but I can't leave."

Lucius looked around at the other Death Eaters. "Find Bella, she's the one who set the wards. Explain the situation and she can lift the wards.

Severus nodded in response but instead of finding Bellatrix, despite the burning in his arm, he went to the back of the restaurant where he was least likely to he noticed. He shot a patronus off to Lily "Be prepared to apparate, the wards will be lifted momentarily. Contact Dumbledore." Once the patronus was sent he found Bellatrix. She wasn't hard to find with her mane of dark curly hair and ominous laugh. The burning was becoming unbearable. He knew he was running out of time. "TRIXY!" He shouted. Hopefully it wouldn't be too obvious of a nickname for non Death Eaters to recognize. Bellatrix looked around for whoever had called her name. Severus locked eyes with the furious Bellatrix. He attempted Legilimancy. The Dark Lord is calling me, I need you to lift the wards. She gave a slight nod and flicked her wand up. He waited a short moment, he wanted to give Lily a chance to leave. Seconds later he disapparated to the warehouse.

He stumbled inside, overwhelmed by pain. "My Lord" he panted "My Lord. I'm here."

The anger that filled the room was palpable. Lord Voldemort cast a cruciatus curse as soon as Severus entered the room "Why didn't you come when called?"

"My…Lord" he gasped from the floor "I tried…I was on a date at La Pretosa when the attack began… I didn't have a chance to leave before the wards were set."

Voldemort once again invaded his mind and the image of a blonde, blue eyed woman flashed in his mind. He tried to bury the deep feelings of love and fear that he felt at the sight of her name. He hid the part of their attempted escape and his transformation. What he showed next to Voldemort was running into the fight and finding Lucius. Next came his contact with Bellatrix.

"Where did you learn legilimancy?" Voldemort demanded.

"My Lord, I've never attempted it before today. She was too far for me to reach her and I didn't want to be on the receiving end of her next curse."

Voldemort ended the legilimancy contact and Severus pushed himself onto his knees. "My Lord, I'm sorry. I came as fast as possible."

"Why were you in a muggle establishment?"

"I…I didn't want to be noticed by other wizards or witches. I thought it would be safer." Severus glanced up at Voldemort's face. He was deep in thought, trying to decide if Severus deserved to be punished.

"I will speak to Luicus and Bellatrix. You will wait here while we wait for their return." Severus was ushered out of the meeting room and into a sitting area. He held his head in his hands. His head hurt, everything hurt really. What concerned him most was Lily's safety. They'd been looking forward to this date for days and it had obviously been a mistake. He was thankful they had transfigured themselves. If nothing else, at least Voldemort hadn't recognized her as a blonde. Severus waited for what felt like hours. He had been taken to a room away from the main entrance and was unaware if the other Death Eaters had returned yet. _ Why where they even at the restaurant? _ He thought. It was frustrating that he was still kept in the dark about practically everything.

The same worker that had escorted him earlier came to collect him again. "The Dark Lord is ready for you." Severus stood and followed the man back into the meeting room. The room was quiet and there were many empty chairs. When Severus was seated the meeting began.

"We lost many fighters tonight. Dumbledore's Order arrived mid fight and we were over powered. We were still able to cause damage to the Order and cost them some fighters as well." Voldemort stated.

Severus didn't know how to feel. He was overjoyed that Lily had made it home, she'd been able to contact Dumbledore, but he was concerned about who they had lost.

"Severus." Voldemort said and Severus snapped to attention. "I have spoken to Lucius and Bellatrix. They were able to show me the same memory as you did. You have proven yourself repeatedly to be a worthy asset to our cause. In light of tonight's events we have decided on a position for you." Severus swallowed in anticipation. "We would like you to join our fighters."

"Yes, my Lord. Thank you, my Lord. I am happy to devote myself to the cause even more and am thankful for this opportunity to prove myself further."

Voldemort gave a small chuckle at Severus' cheesy response. Voldemort rose and strutted to where Severus sat. Severus bowed his head in respect. "Look at me." Voldemort said and Severus raised his head and made eye contact, unsure of what to expect. Voldemort waved his wand across Severus' face "Dissimulo" he muttered and Severus felt a mask appear on his face. Voldemort returned to his seat at the head of the table. "We raise our glass to our new knight." Cups of firewhiskey appeared in front of everyone and they toasted Severus. At that the meeting was concluded and they were free to go. There was no other mention of the lives that had been lost or a memorial made for them. They had never mattered to Voldemort at all. Severus was the first out the door. He removed his mask before apparating twice and arriving outside his front door.

"Lily!" He called as he opened the door. The blonde hair and blue eyes were gone. His beautiful red headed wife ran towards him and into his arms "Severus! You're okay! What happened?!"

He waved his wand in front of his face and thought the incantation. A skeletal mask appeared. "I'm officially one of them."

Lily backed away "Severus, I don't like seeing you this way. Please remove it."

He did as she asked. "I was able to find a Death Eater that knew who I was and was able to get the wards lifted so I-we could leave. The other Death Eaters cooperated and Voldemort believed my story. Unfortunately I also have a position now…"

"What is it?"

"Apparently the Order took out a lot of fighters, I'm going to be a fighter now because of it."

"No…no…you can't. I thought you'd just be a potions master or something like you were with the Order."

"I know, I thought so too. I'm so sorry Lily."

She hugged him tight and let her tears fall. They heard the unmistakable pop of an apparition outside. Lily pulled away and looked out the window. It was Dumbledore and Remus. She opened the door to let them in.

"Lily, Severus, glad to see you made it home safely. Thank you, Lily for alerting the Order."

"Of course, sir."

"Unfortunately I bring bad news. Alastor Moody is currently in St. Mungo's in grave condition. He is in excellent care but we aren't sure if he'll make it. We also lost Emmeline Vance and Marlene McKinnon tonight. Others have been injured but are otherwise fine. Do you know why they attacked, Severus?"

He shook his head "I don't know. I don't know anything about the fight. Voldemort said they lost several Death Eaters and the building was fairly empty tonight but I don't know any names. Voldemort only cares that he lost fighters, not human beings and he's treated the situation as such."

"Let us know if you learn more?"

"Yes, of course." He conjured the mask once again. "I'm officially one of them now. He's also made me a fighter."

Dumbledore sighed and Severus removed his disguise. "I was afraid that would happen. You need to expect to be attacked by the Order members. They don't know your true identity and with the mask it'll be difficult to tell which one is you. Try and stay out of combat as much as possible without raising suspicions."

"Of course, Sir."

"Now, as you can see, I brought Remus with me tonight. I've spoken to him about being your second secret keeper and he has agreed to the job. If it's alright with you two I would like to preform the spell tonight."

"Absolutely, thank you, Remus." Lily said.

"Now with this spell we are going to protect my identity and the location of your home so that if something happens to one of us, you four will still be safe. The fidelius charm lives on even if the secret keeper has died. If we are murdered the charm will still exist. However if the castor is killed the charm will end. Who shall be the castor?"

"Lily? I think it'd be better if it was you. You stay home more and are a secret Order member. I think it's less likely for you to die than for me." Severus directed at her

"As much as I hate to admit it I think you're right."

The four of them clasped hands. This wasn't the first time they'd been through the charm. "Silenda Custos" Lily murmured. Theirs hands were bound together for a moment by golden ropes before disappearing into thin air.

Remus swallowed "I guess it's official."

"Thank you, Remus." Lily and Severus said together. "Thank you, Albus" Severus added.

"Would either of you like some tea?" Lily asked.

Remus nodded his head and walked with Lily to the Kitchen. Albus declined the invitation. "I need to get back, thank you for the information, Severus. It likely saved the lives of many muggles. I'll keep you informed about the upcoming funerals but I would fine it unwise for either of you to attend."

"We understand, please give their families our condolences. Goodnight, Albus." Severus shut the door behind him and went to join the other two. Remus and Lily were sitting around the table talking while the kettle was on the stove.

"Guess what, Sev?"

"Hmm?"

"Our Remus here has a lady friend."

"Is that so, Remus?"

Remus blushed. "Her name's Cyra. We've only been seeing each other for a few weeks. She was home schooled but she's a witch."

"Good for you Remus." Severus said as he finished making the tea. "Does she know about your condition?"

Remus sighed. "No, I'm not sure how to tell her. I'm just trying to avoid it for as long as possible."

"Waiting to tell her won't make her stay, Remus. I'm sure she'd prefer the truth before getting too invested." Lily said.

"Yeah." He nodded "You're probably right." He sipped his tea. "What's new with you two?"

"Just trying not to die." Severus scoffed.

Lily glared at Severus. "Nothing new happens when you're in hiding. The one night we tried to do something we get attacked. I don't know if we'll chance that again. We're lucky to be alive. I appreciate you willing to put yourself in danger for our safety and especially for the safety of our children."

Remus shrugged "It's the right thing to do. I'm sure you'd do the same. I'm still young. I have no need or want to start a family in this war. If we ever conquer You-Know-Who things will be different."

"How are the Potters doing?" Severus asked.

"Fine I guess, not much different than you two. They aren't allowed to leave either and it's driving James crazy."

"I can understand that" Lily spoke as she took their cups to the sink. "At least you have something to do, Sev."

"Trust me, I wish I didn't. You don't know what it's like to stand in his presence…he's feared for a reason."

"Do you know if Dumbledore's found any of the-"

Severus cut Lily off "Lily. Not now. You aren't even supposed to know."

Remus looked between the couple. They were clearly keeping a secret. "What's Dumbledore doing?"

"I'm sorry, Remus. I can't tell you. Dumbledore told me in confidence and I already blabbed to Lily. He's…he thinks he may have found a way to fight Voldemort. Don't let him know I told you anything."

"I won't…do you know how close he is to this thing?"

"No, I need to ask him actually. I don't know if he's made any progress at all but he's been searching for months now."

"Please keep me informed? You don't have to tell me what it is but I would like to know if anything changes."

"I will. It's the least I can do."

Remus stood "Thank you, I need to be on my way. Thank you for the tea." He slapped Severus on the shoulder and gave Lily a quick hug. She walked him to the door and bid goodbye before meeting Severus in the bedroom. She walked in on him removing his shirt.

"Sev! What happened?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Your back, it has a huge bruise."

"Oh, that. Nothing, just a cruciatus." He said nonchalantly.

"JUST a cruciatus? It looks terrible. Let me fix it." She pointed her wand at the large bruise and drew circles in the air while chanting. She watched the colors change before it disappeared completely.

"Thank you, Lils." He kissed her "It feels much better."

They climbed into bed together and he held her like always. "I love you, Lily."

"I love you more, Sev."


	48. Chapter 48

Sunday night came, the night they were to attack the Longbottom family. Voldemort hadn't said anything about seeing Order members in Devon. Severus was hopeful that meant Dumbledore's spying had been a success. At 11 o'clock on the dot his mark began to burn just like he had expected. This would be his first night as a fighter. The kids were in bed, he'd said his goodbyes to them earlier. It was hard not to make every goodbye seem like the last. He kissed Lily goodbye and sent a patronus to Dumbledore "It's happening now, be prepared". He conjured his mask and disapparated to Headquarters. Voldemort put them in teams of two to surround the house. Severus was put with Selwyn, another new fighter. Selwyn had joined the Death Eaters only two months before Severus. They were both inexperienced when it came to killing others. He and Selwyn apparated to an alley about a block from the house that was under attack. They walked silently and waited for the other Death Eaters to get in position like they'd been told. Of course the Dark Lord wasn't here. He let his cronies do all the dirty work while he took the credit.

They stood in the pitch black silence under an old tree in the backyard. The lights inside the home were off. Everyone was most likely asleep, just how Voldemort had planned. In the near distance he and Selwyn could hear the other Death Eaters apparating in. Red sparks shot above the house. That was the sign, it was time to move. Severus walked to the backdoor "Alohomora" he whispered and he heard the lock click. The door creaked as he pushed it open. He and Selwyn conjured a Lumos and began searching the house. By the sounds coming from the front of the house they could tell they weren't the only Death Eaters inside. The house was strangely quiet and something was off. It was cluttered with furniture and personal items yet it didn't look as though the house had been lived in for weeks if not longer. This was definitely the work of Dumbledore.

Severus passed through the house like the other Death Eaters, scanning for any sign of life but he was the only one who knew for a fact that no one was here, and hadn't been for a long time. He couldn't help but smile. No one would be dying tonight, muggle or wizard but Severus could guarantee whoever had passed Voldemort this location was going to wish they were dead.

The house was turned over again and again for any sign of where it's owners had gone. The search was futile but they knew how dangerous it would be to return to the Dark Lord empty handed. It was nearly three in the morning when they decided it was time to accept their fate and return to Lord Voldemort. It was fury like Severus had never seen before. They hadn't even had a chance to remove their masks before the torture started. Many innocent Death Eaters became the victim of the Dark Lord's rage. He threw the cruciatus around like candy. Severus was one of the lucky few to have missed it. He had had nothing to do with this mission or its planning. Voldemort gestured for two specific Death Eaters to step forward. Severus recognized Lucius from the long blonde hair hanging around his shoulders. Severus watched the other man step forward. He didn't remember seeing him before. He was a short and stout man but his facial features remained hidden. Along with these two men, Voldemort requested that Bellatrix stay behind. Severus remembered how the Dark Lord told him She liked to play with her food. The rest of them were excused. Severus apparated to Cokeworth and waited to make sure no one had followed him before finally apparating home.

They'd been kept at headquarters for a long time. The sun was already starting to peak over the mountains. He slipped quietly inside the house and walked to the bedroom he shared with Lily. He unbuttoned his robes and climbed under the covers. She turned over to look at him.

"Are you okay?" She asked with a tired voice.

"I'm fantastic. Dumbledore set him up. Voldemort is furious but he didn't take any of it out

on me."

"No more hidden cuts or bruises?"

"Not this time." He gave her a kiss and they fell asleep together. His wake up call came when a growing, six year old Octavia jumped into bed right on top of him. He wrestled her down and tickled her until she couldn't breathe. Lily stood watching them from the doorway with Harry in her arms. They were all dressed and ready for the day. They had clearly been up much longer than him. He rolled out of bed and began to dress.

"Ava wants to go to the forest and find a unicorn." Lily said.

Severus frowned and looked at his daughter. "I don't know if this forest has any."

"But we can at least look!" Octavia cried.

"We can try but don't be disappointed if we don't see any, now go find your jacket and we can go." Octavia ran off and Severus directed his next question to Lily. "Are you two coming with us?"

"Of course. We're all ready, just waiting for you."

"What time is it?"

"About two."

"Geez, sorry I slept so long. We can go for a couple hours but I need to speak with Dumbledore later."

"You'll have plenty of time to do that tonight. We haven't been able to spend much time as a family lately."

"I know, I'm coming." He slipped his feet into his black boots and they set off. The forest behind their home had quickly become an escape for all of them. It was the one place in the world they could visit and still feel safe. After exploring for a few hours they ate the dinner that Lily had packed. It was wonderful to just be the four of them spending time together again. They returned home without seeing a unicorn or any other magical creature much to Octavia's disappointment. They reassured her she would see plenty in a few years when she went to Hogwarts.

Severus disapparated to Hogsmeade and stood outside the gates to Hogwarts under his disillusionment charm. He sent a patronus to Dumbledore letting him know he was there. Severus stood outside in the biting January air waiting for the old man. By the time they had made it inside the castle together Severus was sure his joints were frozen but it was nothing a warm cup of tea couldn't fix.

"You knew all along didn't you? That they would go there and find nothing."

"Of course, Severus. The plan had been set for long before you told me."

"How come you didn't tell me?"

"The less information you have to hide from Lord Voldemort the better."

"How did you know that's where they'd choose?"

"I didn't exactly. Shortly after you 'left the Order' I formed four groups of Order members and 'accidentally' let the location of the Longbottoms slip. Each group was given an address to a different safe house with the illusion it was home to the Longbottom family. Of course, the actual location was never divulged."

"What good did all that work do?"

"Severus, I was able to narrow down the search for our spy quite considerably. The Devon location was the one that was leaked to Voldemort. We now know our spy is one of the eight members who received that information."

"Who does that include?"

"Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Charlotte Dubois, Dedalus Diggle, Sturgis Podmore, and our since deceased member, Emmeline Vance."

"And you're positive this group has the spy?"

"Do you know of any more planned raids or discussed locations?"

"No, Sir."

"Then I'm quite positive Severus."

"Well your plan worked. The Dark Lord was furious when we came back empty handed. A lot of us were unnecessarily tortured last night, not including me thankfully. There are two members he's especially angry with. One of them I recognized to be Lucius Malfoy but I didn't get to see the other man's face. I've never noticed him there before last night. He was short and a little on the heavy side. That's all I know."

"Did you hear his voice? Could you tell his age?"

"No, Sir, neither."

Dumbledore stroked his beard. "Well the small description narrows it down a bit. We do have a few members fitting that build. I'll keep that in mind while we continue our search but I don't want to exclude other people until we know more."

"Of course. I have one more question, Albus. Have you had any success with the horcruxes?"

"No, I'm afraid not. I don't yet know how many he's made or where they may be located but I have been collecting memories to find out. Thus far I believe he has five horcruxes and that they somehow relate to Hogwarts. I have made some progress but am far from discovering or destroying any of them. When Voldemort trusts you completely I would like for you to try and learn more about these items without drawing suspicion. It won't be an easy job but it may be our only hope. For now I will continue my research and you will continue being a loyal Death Eater."

"Yes, Sir. Thank you."

The next few months after the failed attack on the Longbottoms were eventless. Their presence hadn't gone unnoticed and it was quickly reported by the Daily Prophet. Lord Voldemort was laying low for now. At least that's what he told the Death Eaters. Severus was sure it was from a lack of leads on what to do next. The Dark Lord still had no information on the Potter or Longbottom boys. Severus was thankful that Voldemort hadn't considered Harry to be a threat. That had been the whole reason Severus had become a Death Eater, to throw him off their trail. So far it was working. He was perfectly fine not feeling the call of his master everyday, not worrying if he'd survive or see his family again. He was completely happy with the hopeful idea of never seeing Voldemort again. His next call to action wasn't until September, nearly a full 8 months later. He apparated to the warehouse and was ushered inside like usual. The meeting room was once again filled with Death Eaters anxiously awaiting their Lord. When all of them had arrived the Dark Lord took his typ

ical dramatic steps to his seat in the dimly room.

"Our spy for the Order of the Phoenix has been able to give us the location of the Potter boy. I have inspected the location myself and believe it to be true. Due to our previous failed attempts." Voldemort glared at Lucius. "I will be keeping the location confidential. We do not want to risk another unfortunate accident like last time. I will not be disappointed again. Only those I trust most will be assigned to this mission. The rest of you will continue to bide your time and keep a low profile." The Dark Lord stood and left. Severus was shocked at how short the meeting had been. Looking around the room he wasn't the only one. The false address before had shattered what little faith Voldemort had in his subjects. This time he wouldn't be handing out any information if he could help it. The remaining Death Eaters stood and filed out of the building, unsure of where to go or what to do next.

Severus apparated to the first home he and Lily had shared. He waited for the first apparition trail to disappear before heading home. As he walked to the front door be heard a twig snapping in the distance. Severus flipped around to look behind him and scanned the area. "Probably just some animal" he mumbled to himself as he went inside his home. Meanwhile, in the bushes nearby stood Rabastan Lestrange, hidden beneath his disillusionment charm watching Severus disappear into the safety of the fidelius charm. With a wicked grin Rabastan apparated back to his master.


	49. Chapter 49

"What did you wish to speak to me about, Rabastan?" The Dark Lord wasn't happy to have been called back to headquarters so late.

"My Lord, I found them. I think I found the location of Harry Snape."

The angry fire behind the Dark Lord's eyes dimmed at the news "Explain."

"I followed Severus home tonight under the apparition trail. He apparated twice and waited some time between the two trips. I think he did it to deliberately make sure no one would follow him. After the last apparition we arrived near a small forest. I do not know where it was but it's in the middle of nowhere. He walked towards the forest and disappeared. I think it was a fidelius charm."

"Did he know you were there?"

"No, my Lord. I used a disillusionment charm and stayed hidden."

"Show me." Voldemort said as he entered Rabastan's memories. He watched the scene unfold just as the man described. "Good work, Rabastan. I will continue working on reaching Harry Snape. If it succeeds you will be rewarded admirably. Goodnight." Voldemort stood and watched the other man leave before he apparated to his own home.

Severus contacted Dumbledore as soon as he'd entered his home. If Rabastan had stayed any longer he would have seen the old man arrive. Dumbledore was barely through the threshold when Severus blurt the new information. "He's found the Potters. He said he checked out the location himself and believes it's the real thing this time. He's not giving out any information on where or when the attack will be. I think he's worried the attack won't go well like last time."

Dumbledore thought for a moment. "The Potters don't leave their house. They are like you, neither of them work and they stay home with their son. I have full confidence in their secret keeper, Sirius. I don't know how Voldemort would have found them."

"What about his spy, sir?"

"I know for certain the spy isn't involved. Only I and Sirius know the location of the Potter family. Not even Remus or Peter are aware of where they live. I can assure you I am not the spy or Sirius. I wouldn't worry about this, Severus."

"But what if you're wrong?! You could be costing them their lives!"

"Severus, they are safe where they are. If we move them now it may raise suspicions."

"You're wrong. They need to be protected! What if it was my family? What if they knew where we lived? Would you move us?"

"Severus, that would depend on the situation. I would not linger on the thought of them being in danger. No one knows where they are. If it makes you feel better I will place extra security around them but until we know more I don't want to take further action."

"I think it's time for you to leave, Professor."

"Severus-"

"No, they deserve to know. They deserve to be kept safe. If nothing else protect the child."

"Severus if we warn them, if the spy finds out, it could compromise your position."

"I'm aware of that. I'm capable of keeping myself safe. I have lived in the presence of Voldemort for months, I have lied to his face repeatedly and not been caught. I think I can do it once more. Goodnight Professor." Severus opened the door behind Dumbledore. He knew it was his cue to leave and left without another word. Lily had been sitting in the room listening to their conversation.

"Sev…maybe he's right? I don't want anything to happen to the Potters either, especially their son, but what about you? What about us? You are in more danger now than anyone. You don't need to risk yourself even more. You know how I feel about you being a Death Eater already. Please don't make it worse."

Severus sat next to her and rubbed his temples. "What am I supposed to do? Stand by and watch them be killed?"

"Severus, remember what Dumbledore said about the caster needing to die for the fidelius charm to be broken?"

"Yes."

"You can't be the secret keeper and the caster. The caster either had to be one of the Potters or Dumbledore. Even if they kill Sirius they won't be able to get to the Potters. He signed up for the job knowing he may lose his life. You can't risk yours for something he agreed to. Can you just wait and see how things play out first? If you hear more details on the situation then you can act but until then can't you keep yourself safe for once?"

Severus sighed and pulled her tiny frame onto his sturdy lap "I guess. But if something changes, if I hear any more news, I'm warning them."

"Okay, but only then, not before. Promise me?"

"I promise Lily." He sealed his promise with a kiss.

Weeks went by with no news. He hadn't been called to the warehouse. He didn't know if this was a good sign or a bad one. They could be planning the attack without him. He hated not being able to tell the Potter family what they were up against. He stayed inside with Lily and the kids. Harry was just over a year now and growing everyday. He'd started to pull up onto furniture and would teeter a couple steps before falling. They were both proud parents.

What they didn't know was why Severus had been kept in the dark. Rabastan's revelation to Voldemort had shattered the trust between him and Severus. The void where Severus lived was on watch daily. Even though they couldn't see his home they hoped they could see him leaving it. Voldemort kept Severus in the dark. If Severus learned his family was under surveillance he would pack up his family and leave. Voldemort couldn't lose them, not yet, and especially not Harry. And so the weeks passed for the Snape family. They thought their world was calm when in reality a violent storm was brewing.

Halloween had always been a holiday loved by Severus and Lily. They'd never been able to take either of their children trick or treating due to the war but they made do. Octavia dressed up as a bumble bee and Harry was dressed as a puppy. Lily and Severus hid candy throughout the house and let the kids search for it. When all the candy had been found Octavia demanded a walk through the forest. She had been hellbent on finding a unicorn lately and hadn't been to the forest in months. Severus and Lily reluctantly agreed to the walk. They removed the children's costumes and bundled them up in warmer clothes. Severus was first out the door, holding Octavia's hand. Lily came next with Harry in her arms. She held Severus' other hand and the four of them left the safety of the fidelius charm. Rabastan once again was hidden in the bushes along with Selwyn and Yaxley. They watched the family leave their home before calling Lord Voldemort.

Severus was the first to hear the bustle of feet behind them. He turned around to see the burning red eyes of Lord Voldemort himself just before the crack signaling that antiappariton wards were set. "LILY! RUN!"

Her head flipped behind her at the sound of his scream. She started running with the children into the forest. She saw a green streak of light speed past, barely missing her. They couldn't go home, they'd have to head straight for the Death Eaters. The only place for them to go was into the forest. She ran as fast as she could with a stumbling Octavia in tow before she finally had to scoop the 6 year old into her arms as well. Her throat burned, her legs ached, and she fought back tears yet still she ran. It wasn't until she reached the part of the forest where the trees grew close together that she stopped. She hadn't heard footsteps in a while but she wasn't taking any chances. She petrified both the children and placed a disillusionment charm over the three of them. She noticed a cut on Harry's forehead and blotted away the blood. They hid in a particular dark area, thick of foliage and waited. When she was sure no one was around she sent a patronus to Dumbledore. "Voldemort's here. He has Severus." She sent it off and hoped that Dumbledore would make it in time.

They sat in between the trees as the sky got darker and darker. She didn't know if it was safe to leave, if it would ever be safe to leave. She held her kids close and sobbed quietly afraid of what could have happened. She was exhausted from running for so long and from the adrenaline that had been pumping through her earlier but there was no way she could sleep. Not here, not now.

It was pitch black, the nocturnal animals were coming out for dinner, they couldn't be there any longer. Without removing any of her spells she decided to try apparating and hoped they were out of range of the wards. To her relief it worked and the three of them arrived outside of Hogwarts. She sent a patronus to McGonagall. "This is Lily Snape. My kids and I are outside the gate. Please let us in." Almost as soon as she had sent it she received her reply. The gates began to creak open and she ran inside. They slammed shut behind her. Professor McGonagall met them on their way to the castle. She helped a distraught Lily inside to her chambers. Lily released the charms she had placed on the children. She felt horrible for having to put spells on them at all but it was the one way to keep them quiet and in one spot. She was just thankful they didn't understand what was happening. Professor McGonagall summoned food from the kitchens and the children ate in peace before falling asleep. It was only then that Lily dared ask what was going on.

"Where's Dumbledore? What's going on?"

"I'm afraid I don't know. He's been gone for hours and I haven't heard any news…they found the Longbottom and Potter families too."

"No…what happened?"

"Bellatrix and a few others found the Longbottoms. As far as I know they've been tortured but they're still alive."

"…and what about the potters?"

"They…they were killed. All three of them."

Lily broke out in tears again. Professor McGonagall failed at fighting back her own as she comforted Lily. They hugged each other in silence as they waited for more news. Near midnight they noticed the faint light of a Phoenix patronus wafting through the door. McGonagall sat up straight when she heard the message. "He's back, get up."

Lily stood and left the room with one last glance at Harry and Octavia. She followed McGonagall to the headmaster's office preparing herself for the worst. She didn't remember the walk to his office ever being this long. The griffin guarding the doors hopped aside at once letting them through. The doors swung open and the women walked inside. An exhausted Dumbledore sat behind his desk and to the right was "SEVERUS!" Lily ran to her husband's side. He was unconscious on the couch but he was alive she kissed every inch of skin she could and cried over his body.

"What happened?" She asked Dumbledore.

"He's gone, Lord Voldemort is gone."

"How? I thought the prophecy said he was to be defeated by one of the boys?"

"He was, Lily. Your boy."

"I don't understand? He was with me the whole time."

"Severus fought Voldemort and the other Death Eaters for as long as he could. Somehow before the fight he was able to send me a short patronus and I was able to come and join the fight almost at the beginning. When I arrived Lord Voldemort fired a killing curse at you as you ran from him. It hit Harry."

"No, it can't have. He's alive, I saw it myself."

"Yes, he is alive. The curse rebounded upon hitting him and hit Lord Voldemort instead. He was killed by his own Avada Kedavra. Severus sacrificed himself to save you three. That love combined with yours protected Harry."

Lily sat there dumbfounded "But no one has survived the killing curse…"

"No…not until tonight. He will be known as the boy who lived."

"But if he was hit as I was running away then wouldn't that mean Voldemort died shortly after we fled? What took so long?

"Severus stayed behind and fought off the remaining Death Eaters. It wasn't long before they fled too and he joined me in trying to save the other two families. The Potters unfortunately were already gone before we got there. We were able to interrupt the torture of the Longbottoms and they're at St. Mungos now but we don't yet know their condition. We learned one more thing tonight…Sirius was our spy. There was a confrontation in a muggle area between him and Peter Pettigrew. In the process 13 muggles were killed along with Peter. All we were able to find of him was a finger…"

"No, it can't have been Sirius. He would never do that, especially to James."

"There was no other way for Voldemort to have accessed their location. We were able to get several accounts from muggles before they were obliviated. Sirius has been sent to Azkaban pending a trial."

Lily turned back to Severus. She didn't know what to say to Dumbledore. So much had happened tonight and she couldn't wrap her mind around it.

"When will he wake up?"

"I'm not sure, he was hit with an unknown curse. Madam Pomfrey should be here any minute to attend to him. I don't believe it to be fatal but we will await her official word. He's safe, Lily. It's time you slept."

"No, not yet, not until I know he's safe too." She kissed Severus' unmoving lips and sat in silence waiting for the healer to arrive. She couldn't believe it, Voldemort was gone, really gone, and it was her family that had stopped him.


	50. Chapter 50

His eyelids felt heavy and nearly impossible to open. A searing pain shot through his forehead as he blinked into the candlelight.

"What…happened?" He mumbled. Lily stood and rushed to his side when she heard him speak. His forehead was damp with sweat and she brushed the sticky hair away from his face.

"Sev!" He winced at the tone of her voice. "Sev." She repeated quietly. "You're okay, we're all okay. It's over."

"You…you made it?"

She nodded vigorously "Yes, all three of us. You saved us."

"Where's…where's Harry and…Octavia?"

"They're sleeping. It's the middle of the night."

He nodded, too tired to form a reply. "Water…"

Lily found the mediwitch and brought her to his aid. She offered him a few sips of water before making him lie down again.

"What's wrong…with me?"

"A Death Eater hit you with an unknown spell. You've been out for three days now. We're in St. Mungo's. Look at your arm Sev."

He slowly turned his head to his left side. "It's gone." He mumbled in surprise.

Lily nodded with a smile. "You're free, Sev."

"No…no I'm not…he'll come back."

"But…he's disappeared? The mark is gone?"

"Just for now…I'll never be free."

Lily's heart grew heavy. It was foolish for her to have thought otherwise.

"When can I go home?" He asked.

"I don't know, this is the first time you've been awake. You still seem pretty weak."

"I'll be okay… I have you to take care of me." He caressed her side and gave a small smile.

"Severus, I don't know how much help I'll be."

He frowned "What makes you…say that?"

"Well the morning sickness has started hitting me pretty hard."

"What? What are you talking about?" He sat up a little straighter.

She grinned at him. "I'm pregnant." She laid in the bed next to him and he pulled her close like he always did.

"Number three eh?...I didn't even know we were...trying for another yet."

"We weren't. There just something about you and surprise babies."

He laughed softly "Yeah...you got me there."

"We've got a lot to figure out now. We can go back to work, buy an actual house, we can even have neighbors!"

"We'll figure it out together, Lils. Right now I need to sleep and you should too…I'm expecting to hear what happened when I wake up."

"Of course, love." She kissed his forehead and snuggled closer. Together they fell asleep. They were woken several hours later by a mediwitch.

"Mr. and Mrs. Snape? You have some visitors."

Lily stood from the bed and fixed her mussed up hair as Virginia and Eileen came in with Harry and Octavia. Octavia leaped onto the bed where her dad lay and began chattering away about her last few days at Hogwarts and with her grandmas. Severus listened and tried to keep his headache at bay. Lily sat baby Harry on the bed next to him as well. Eileen bent down to give her son a hug "I'm so proud of you, son."

"Don't be proud of me yet, mum. There's a lot you don't know. I'll talk to you about it later when the kids aren't around. In fact…there's a lot that I don't know." He turned to look at Lily. "What happened exactly?"

She bit her lip, the rest of the story wasn't exactly good news. She thought for a moment before speaking, she had to be careful what words she said in front of the kids. "Well the three of us took an adventure into the forest and watched the animals for a couple of hours before heading to Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall told me the rest. The Longbottoms are here as well…the doctors aren't sure they'll recover. Bellatrix did quite a number on them. The Potters…are, well…gone."

"Gone? What do you mean gone?"

"Sev…they didn't make it. All three of them are…gone."

"No…how?"

"Well we figured out the double agent. It was Sirius."

"No. I don't believe that."

"It was, he gave the location to you-know-who. The Potters never had a chance. Afterward, Peter confronted him and now he's gone as well, along with 13 muggles."

"Foolish old man" Severus mumbled angrily. "I TOLD him they would be found but he didn't believe me."

"Severus, it wouldn't have changed anything. He found all of us. In fact I actually was wondering about that…how DID he find us?"

Severus took a large breath "I think they followed my apparition. I was always so careful. I even apparated twice to prevent this but it wasn't enough. I'm so sorry, Lily."

"Don't be sorry, you did your best. We're all fine now."

"I still don't understand how he was defeated?"

"…did you see the scar on Harry's forehead?"

"Yes…I thought that was just from the forest?"

"No, Severus it's in the shape of a lightening bolt. The wand movement for-" She glanced at the kids playing in the corner before whispering the name of the killing curse. "For Avada Kedavra is a lightening bolt shape. You-know-who tried to get rid of Harry. When you sacrificed yourself for us it protected him and the curse rebounded hitting you-know-who instead."

Severus smiled and Lily gave him a confused look. "Lily? Do you realize what this means? Love saved Harry. The very thing you-know-who has fought against his whole life did him in."

Lily smiled too. "He never was as smart as he thought."

The same mediwitch as before returned to the room. "Mr. Snape, I need to examine you again now that you're awake." Severus lay flat on the bed as the woman performed diagnostic spells on him. "Well you look to be in good condition. I think it's safe to say you can return home but be warned you're still going to be very tired. Your body took quite a hit."

Severus nodded, he would agree to anything that brought him home. Home…where was that now? He had no interest in returning to the home they had been ambushed in, the home they were trapped in for over a year. He was sure Lily felt the same way. Now they had the freedom to live where ever they wanted without fear.

Eileen and Virginia left with Harry and Octavia so that Severus could change. Severus and his family apparated back to Hogwarts. It was the closest thing he had to a house right now. Lily had been staying in the room of requirement with Ava and Harry for the past few days. When they arrived to the room it was ready for them.

Lily entered first. "Did you even know this room existed?" She asked. When she didn't hear a reply she turned to look at Severus who was glued to his spot in the doorway surveying the room. "Sev?"

"I knew this room existed. I spent a fair amount of time in it during my fifth year. This exact room, the bed, the walls, everything is the same."

"What are you talking about?"

"Is there anywhere else we can stay?"

"Why? What's wrong?"

Severus scratched the back of his head. "Well…I'm pretty sure this is where Octavia was created. I have quite a few memories here that I don't care to relive."

"Oh…I-"

"I need to speak with Dumbledore about some things. I'll be back in a while." He turned from the door and headed to the headmaster's tower. Even after all these years the death of Cassia was painful for him. The walk to the tower took every ounce of energy he'd had left. He certainly wasn't taking it easy like he said he would.

"Severus, I've been expecting you."

Severus turned towards the direction of Dumbledore's voice. He had been coming from the same direction as Severus, he must have been headed for his office as well.

"Come." Dumbledore said and gestured for Severus to follow him into the office. Severus obliged and took a seat in the nearest armchair. He collapsed into the chair more than anything.

"Has Lily spoken to you about the events of Halloween night?"

"Yes, she explained what happened. I have some questions though."

"Of course, of course."

"What happened to the Longbottom boy? Neville?"

"He's alive and well, he was completely unharmed in the attack. Frank and Alice were caught leaving their house, much like you and Lily. It was only supposed to be for a moment and so Neville was left inside the barrier. He's now in the care of his grandmother."

Severus was relieved to hear the boy wasn't hurt. "And his parents? Are they expected to recover?"

"Unfortunately we do not know. They were tortured into insanity by some of Lord Voldemort's dear followers. For now we will just have to see how things play out."

"Voldemort is gone, clearly not forever. Do we have much time before he returns? What about the horcruxes?"

"Voldemort's soul is in tatters. One horcrux is enough to do significant damage to a soul. With the suspected five horcruxes in the world it's amazing he had a soul at all. He will need time to gather his strength and find his way back to a body. Right now I believe he is resting. The near death will have taken everything from him. I suspect he is nothing more than a whisper at the moment. I don't know when he will return but I believe we do have some time until that moment comes. During that time we need to do our best to discover the horcruxes. I believe I know what two of them may be."

"What are they? Where are they?"

"I believe the first to be a locket belonging to Slytherin. The second should be the diadem of Ravenclaw."

"But that's been lost for decades, Sir."

"Precisely the problem, Severus. I'm unaware of the location of the locket as well but I believe that horcrux is connected to the death of Regulus Black. We just need to follow the trail."

"That's…that's nothing to go on."

"No, but it's more than what we had before."

Severus returned to the room of requirement. He braced himself to walk into the room he used to know so well. He was pleasantly surprised however to find that it look entirely different.

"Lily? Did you change this?"

"I tried. It's the best I could do. Tomorrow I'd like to find our own place to live but until then I hope this will work."

"It's brilliant, Lils, thank you."

"I was thinking we should move to a wizarding town. Somewhere where we can be around people like us, where Octavia and Harry can have friends. Somewhere that ISN'T in the middle of nowhere."

"I think that's a great idea. We'll go look tomorrow. Until then I need some sleep and I think you could use it too."

"I asked a couple of the house elves to watch the kids. They've been really helpful the last few days."

They climbed into bed for a much needed nap. He rested his hand on her newly pregnant belly. "Maybe we could use an elf of our own."

"If we have as many kids as the Weasleys we can talk about it."

He smiled and nuzzled into her neck where he fell fast asleep. This was the first time in their life that things were truly good. They were all safe and alive without a care in the world. Lily fell asleep with the hope that it would last forever.


	51. Chapter 51

Lily slept well for the first time in almost a year. They hadn't had to worry about Voldemort the last three days but she had had to worry about her husband. The hospital staff and Dumbledore both assured her Severus would be fine but she didn't want to believe them in case it wasn't true. St. Mungo's was nothing like a muggle hospital. There were no beeping monitors to measure his vitals. There was no need in this world, they had other means. She found it disheartening. She couldn't look at a screen and see his heart beating or his oxygen. She didn't know anything and it terrified her. Part of her now understand what he had gone through so long ago. Octavia would be 7 in a few months. It still amazed her sometimes what things bothered Sev about the loss of Cassia and the traumatic experience he'd been through with Ava. Lily hadn't particularly cared that they had used the room of requirement, she hadn't cared about the girl who used to be in his life for quite some time now. But it had noticeably bothered Severus to return to that room. Sometimes it's fascinating the things that can jolt us into the past. That room held a lot of pain for him.

She woke early the next morning and dressed quickly. Severus still seemed so exhausted, she didn't want to wake him. She cast a muffliato on him before waking the kids for breakfast. Hogwarts was in session and the castle was full of teenagers. It would be best for the family to get to the kitchens without worrying about the other occupants. It was only six am and few people roamed the halls. Breakfast wasn't being served in the great hall yet but that didn't mean there wasn't food. She knew where the kitchen was. She had snuck into it before with some of her Slytherin friends. The house elves that had been helping her the last few days were there. They fed the family a filling meal and Lily thanked them profusely for all they had done for her family. When the three of them returned to the room of requirement they found Severus awake and getting dressed. Some color had returned to his typically pale face but he still seemed off.

"Sev? Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah...just a little sick."

"Why don't you sit down for a minute?"

"I'll be okay. I just want to get out of here and find a place of our own."

"We'll have plenty of time for that. Why don't you take a potion?"

"That's not a bad idea actually. We need to go home and gather our things. I can take one then. Are you ready to go?"

Lily nodded "Binky wants to watch the kids for us again, one last time."

Binky appeared at her summons and they set off. It was a long walk out of the castle and through the grounds to get to the gate. "Did we seriously do this everyday?" Severus gasped. "I don't remember walking taking this long."

Lily chuckled. "We've barely left the house in over a year. I think you've gotten a little out of shape."

He glared at her "I was also just attacked by Lord Voldemort."

"Don't be such a drama queen, Sev."

They reached the edge of the protection charms and apparated to their home near the woods. It wasn't easy for either of them to be there.

"That's where they were hiding." Severus pointed to a patch of bushes near the front of the house. "They came out as soon as we turned our backs."

Lily shuddered at the memory. It was hard to believe it had only been four days since the attack. They came out so lucky. It hurt her to think of the Potter family. It was so unfair that all of them lost their lives, that their little boy would never get to grow up. She used occlumency to hide the thought. It did her no good.

They stepped inside the house that was now too quiet. She couldn't wait to be rid of this prison but it would be hard to go. They had made so many memories here. Harry had been born here, he'd spent his whole life here. With just a few spells their items were packed and the house was emptied. Their items were stored in what they had deemed their "moving bag" after having to move so many times. It was their bag with the extendable charm that they used to transport their stuff. Lily stared at the now empty house and bid one last goodbye as they apparated away.

Godric's Hollow was definitely off the list. They didn't want to live near the Potter's now destroyed house. The fact that they had died was sad enough on its own. Severus and Lily also didn't want the daily reminder of how they could have ended up. Their first stop was Ottery St. Catchpole. It was a small wizarding town that was home to several wizarding families, most notably the Weasleys and their seven children. It was a country town with vast spaces between neighbors. It was how Severus and Lily had lived for several years. They didn't want to do it again now that they didn't have to.

Wiltshire was another option. It was a mix of muggle and wizard alike. It was also where the Malfoys called home. Severus didn't want to see another Death Eater for as long as he lived. Not only did they hold a connection to Lord Voldemort but they were also likely to kill him for being a traitor and attacking their Dark Lord. They didn't even go to the town to look.

Last and certainly not least was the city of Dagby. It was a friendly wizarding community in the northeastern part of England. It was home to many new families like them and full of young children. It was perfect. They quickly found a lovely four bedroom home. Octavia and Harry had their own rooms this time, until the third child came along. If it was a girl she would stay with Octavia and a boy with Harry. It still left room for the two of them and a potions room. With a few spells the house was purchased and they were unpacked. Octavia ran around the backyard and Harry toddled after her. They'd never had a yard to play in before.

The family was finally somewhere where they felt safe. They had neighbors on each side of them and couldn't wait to make friends in their new city. They were finally given the beginning they'd always dreamed of. Yet it wasn't enough for Severus. Lily had noticed he had been distant with her since he left the hospital. She hoped it had nothing to do with the baby. He just seemed to be stressed and worried all the time and she didn't understand it. This was the one point in their life they didn't have anything to worry about.

That night they ate dinner as a family like always except this time it was in their new home. "I need to leave, I'm meeting with Dumbledore tonight." Severus stated

Lily furrowed her brow "About what? Hasn't everything been discussed?"

"No…not yet." He left without another word and apparated to Hogsmeade. This time he didn't have to apparate twice and he didn't have to disguise himself. He should have been happy about it but He wasn't. Dumbledore was already waiting in the Hog' s Head for him.

"Albus, do you think we could get a room?" Severus said by way of greeting.

The Headmaster turned to look at him. "Way ahead of you, Severus. Room two, upstairs." The two of them took the steps in silence until they were in the room and the door was closed. Dumbledore locked the room with an unknown spell. "What did you wish to speak to me about?"

"I'm worried what will happen now that he's gone. They've been rounding up Death Eaters like cattle and sending them to Azkaban. Who's to say I'm not next?"

"Severus, you don't need to worry about that. You were a spy, I can prove that you were on our side."

"But what if you don't get a chance? Many of them aren't even getting trials. Even janitors who worked for him at the warehouse are receiving life sentences. All they did was kill germs."

"If it's troubling you I'll speak to the Wizengamot."

"I would appreciate that, Sir. There's something else as well."

"I suspected so."

"My previous colleagues don't know that I was a spy but they certainly have their suspicions. Worst of all is Voldemort. I attacked him. When he comes back he will be furious with me and I will be killed. The solution isn't as simple as not answering his call. He can kill through the Dark Mark. He could kill me at home with no warning."

"I see…this is a problem. And you know nothing about how the mark was given?"

"It was a spell, he used his wand, I just don't know the incantation."

Dumbledore stroked his beard "Likely it was blood magic. It's a very dark area of magic. Few people today know how to preform it. We will have to figure out some way to remove the mark. I'll do my research and I expect you to do so as well. I may also have connections to someone who can help us with blood magic. I'll keep in touch.'

"Thank you, Sir. I'd also like to help with the search and destruction of the horcruxes."

"I believe I may have located one. Your assistance in obtaining it would be very helpful."

"Of course, it would be a pleasure to help."

"I'll send for you then when I'm ready. Await my patronus. Goodnight, Severus.

"Goodnight, Albus." Dumbledore left the room and Severus followed suit. Dumbledore headed towards Hogwarts Castle and Severus apparated home. He entered to find a stoic Lily but she didn't say a word until they'd put the kids to bed. She was quiet and clearly angry as she readied herself for bed that night. He didn't approach the topic. If there was one thing he was afraid of, it was his wife.

"Severus" She always used his full name when she was mad "I would appreciate it if you didn't keep secrets from me."

He was confused "I'm not keeping secrets from you?"

She raised an eyebrow and gave him a look of disbelief "Then what's been on your mind the last two days? What did you talk to Dumbledore about?"

"I don't want to worry you."

"Severus, what could possibly be worse than what we just went through? Don't tell me not to worry, I'm a grown woman, I can take care of myself."

Severus sighed. "Alright, alright. I'm worried I may be arrested like the other Death Eaters."

"And you don't think Dumbledore will stop it?"

"Many of them aren't getting trials."

"So? Is he just going to stop fighting when you're in Azkaban? He won't try to get you out? Severus, he is one of the most influential wizards in Britain if not farther. That man can get anything he wants."

"Maybe you're right bu-"

"Of course I'm right!"

"Lily, that's not everything. Voldemort is coming back, we both know it. When he does I'm dead."

"You don't need to follow him anymore."

"Do you remember how I told you no one stops being a Death Eater? I can't just ignore the mark when it burns. The longer I ignore it the more it hurts. He can kill me just by using the Dark Mark. He made the spell himself to create it. No one has done anything like this before. No one knows how to undo it."

That had resonated with her. "…but what if he gives you another chance? No one knows you are part of the light."

"He won't. He knows I am. I tried to kill him myself. There's no coming back from that now."

"What did Dumbledore say about all of this?"

"He thinks the dark mark is a form of blood magic. He was going to get back to me on it. He also thinks he found a horcrux and I'm going to go with him to look for it when he's ready."

"Is that safe?"

Severus shrugged "Voldemort can't exactly protect them himself and I doubt any of his Death Eaters know about them. I think all we have to worry about is how he might have hidden them.

They both climbed under the covers "Sev, are we ever going to get a break from Voldemort?"

He pulled her into his arms "No, not yet. Voldemort has 'marked Harry as his equal' just as the prophecy foretold. I don't think we'll get a break from Voldemort until he's truly dead."


	52. Chapter 52

It didn't happen for several weeks. Severus and Lily were in their yard tending their garden when the aurors arrived. They didn't even give him a chance to explain before he was arrested. His left sleeve was jerked up to show the extremely faint outline of his dark mark. That was all the proof they needed before dragging him away despite the protests from him and Lily. He was magically bound to one of the aurors and brought To the ministry. His wand was taken and he was shoved into a holding cell. They forced him to strip and put on the striped prison garb. There was no way to cover himself as he changed and he wasn't alone. Selwyn sat in a back corner of the cell wearing the same attire that Severus was about to. Severus felt a strong urge to beat the man into a bloody pulp. He didn't need his wand to get his revenge. Selwyn had been one of the Death Eaters that ambushed his family and tried to kill his son. Severus glanced at him but otherwise ignored him as he changed. He tied the drawstring of his pants and walked to the back. He acted as though he was going to sit down before suddenly throwing a punch. He hit Selwyn straight in the nose and heard a crack as his head connected with the brick wall behind him. Selwyn never had a chance. The two men were on the floor. Severus was on top beating the crap out of him. It only stopped when he was stunned and dragged off by a guard. The previously perfectly healthy Selwyn was now dripping blood from a broken nose and busted lip. He was dragged from the cell to be treated. Severus was taken to an interrogation room by a very disgruntled auror.

"Today's your lucky day, Albus Dumbledore is here to see you." The man bound Severus' hands together before leaving the room to fetch the old man. He couldn't afford Severus beating the snot out of another man, let alone one of the most respected members of society. To be truthful though, Severus wouldn't hurt one silvery hair on the old wizard's head. Dumbledore entered the room nearly an hour later with an exasperated expression. "Severus...what were you thinking?"

"About what?"

"About what?! About beating up that man!" His voice was tight and the volume was slightly raised. It was Dumbledore's version of yelling, if you could call it that.

"He's a Death Eater! Not only that but he's one of the two that attacked my family. I couldn't just leave him be."

Dumbledore rubbed his face in an annoyed fashion. "Severus, you've never been one to control your emotions but I never would have expected this. Until today your bark has been worse than your bite. If you had just given me time. I told you I wouldn't let you go to Azkaban. I've talked with the aurors, they're dropping the Death Eater related charges. Selwyn was unconscious when I last saw him but if he decides to press charges you'll be doing a stint in Azkaban anyway."

Severus couldn't believe what he'd just heard "Because of him all of us could be dead but I'm the one going to Azkaban?!"

"He'll be spending plenty of his own time there for his crimes."

There was a knock on at the door from the same disgruntled auror as before. "Selwyn wants a word with you, Snape." He grumbled.

_ Great _ he thought _ he's pressing charges _ . Selwyn entered the room and was seated out of reach of Severus. He looked at Dumbledore. "Professor, I'd like to speak to Severus alone for a minute." Dumbledore glanced between the two men worriedly before standing and walking out the door. Both men knew they'd be under close watch but they still felt alone. Severus noticed that Selwyn had been patched up. He looked just as he had before, free of blood and broken bones.

"Severus, I'm not pressing charges."

His jaw nearly dropped in surprise.

"I understand why you did it, I would have done the same thing. I have a wife and child of my own. I would die to protect them. But you know the Dark Lord, there's no denying him. I never could have said no to the mission. Joining him is one of my biggest regrets but it's too late now."

Severus was stunned into silence, that was not what he expected. It was several moments before Severus replied. "If...if there was a way to remove the dark mark, to get rid of him completely, would you do it?"

"What do you mean? The Dark Lord is gone."

"Yes, but say he wasn't, would you want to remove the Dark Mark?"

Selwyn's eyes grew wide "Absolutely! Why?"

Severus hesitated "No reason...just curious. Thank you Selwyn. I'm sorry I let my rage take over."

"It's alright, like I said, I would have done the same thing." Selwyn stood and knocked on the door to leave.

"Selwyn?" The other man turned "Good luck out there." Selwyn just smiled as he left the room.

Severus was released. He was given back his own clothes and allowed to dress in private. He left the ministry as a free man, unlike so many of his previous colleagues. He was grateful to Dumbledore for proving his innocence.

Severus apparated home to a very upset Lily.

They had whisked Severus away with absolutely no explanation. She could easily guess why he'd been arrested but it didn't make her feel any better. Her biggest worry was that they had taken him straight to Azkaban like he had mentioned was happening. She contacted Dumbledore immediately so that he could take action but she had to hope he wasn't too late. Lily sat in the house for what felt like days. She'd jump at every noise and turn to look at the door, hoping it was the sound of him coming home. She checked the time over and over. Time was dragging by. It was starting to get dark out and she hadn't seen or heard anything. She was just about to send another patronus to Dumbledore when she heard the unmistakable pop of an apparition. She yanked the door open before he'd even had the chance and jumped into his arms with her legs wrapped around his waist.

"Lily, Lily, I'm okay. I'm not going anywhere." Severus tried to console her.

"What the hell took so long?" She mumbled into his neck.

"I...uh...kind of knocked someone out." He said as he walked into the house still holding her.

She pulled back to look at him "You what?"

"He was one of the Death Eaters that attacked us. I couldn't help myself."

"You've never been one to control your temper but I've only see it come out in words, not fists."

"Can you honestly say you would have done something different?"

"No...in fact I hope you threw in a couple of jabs for me. That still doesn't explain why you were gone for hours."

"I was cleared of all Death Eater charges thanks to Dumbledore but was almost sent to Azkaban anyway. Luckily the Death Eater didn't want to press charges and they let it go. They're too busy catching real Death Eaters to waste a cell on assault."

Lily frowned in confusion "Why would he drop the charges?"

"That's where it gets interesting. He said he would have done the same thing, has a family of his own apparently. He told me he regrets being a Death Eater at all. I doubt he's the only one who feels that way. He believes Voldemort is truly gone, I'm sure they all do but I asked him if he could have removed the dark mark if he would and he said yes. It may be worth including him in our little experiement. There may be others interested as well."

"So...in other words you kind of turned a Death Eater to the light?"

He put her down "Yeah I guess you can say that. Where are the kids?"

"Harry should be waking up from a nap anytime, Octavia is playing with another little girl down the street."

"Really?" Severus beamed, happy his daughter actually was making friends.

"Her name is Gemma Farley. They're the same age. She's a half blood. I'm pretty sure her father was a few years ahead of me at Hogwarts. He looks familiar."

"You'll have to introduce me some time. Why don't you take it easy and I'll fix dinner and watch Harry?"

"That would be great." She was just about 3 months along. She had had horrible morning sickness and fatigue and it made everything near impossible. She had hoped to back to her mediwitch internship now that they were out of hiding but she didn't have the energy. For now she just wanted to sleep and sleep she did. Severus gently shook her awake an hour later for dinner. Both kids were washed and at the table and the food was ready to be served. He had done everything and it meant the world to her. She couldn't imagine being with anyone else and actually chuckled at the fact she had dated that "toe-rag" James Potter. That opened a whole other can of worms. If she had ended up marrying him, would she be dead now too? What about Harry, would he even exist? Would he have survived? She shuddered at the thought. For now the little boy was a carefree toddler but much too soon the weight of the world would be on his shoulders. He would have to be the one to defeat Lord Voldemort. She couldn't bare the thought of him having to do that all on his own. She just wanted to hold him tight and keep him her little boy for as long as she could. He was already growing up much too fast. She still didn't quite understand why he had survived the killing curse. Dumbledore said it was love but that didn't make sense. The Potters and the Longbottoms loved their sons just as much as she loved hers yet the Potter boy was dead. The Longbottoms had been tortured into insanity to keep their son safe. If that didn't equal love then what did?

She smiled at the little boy sitting across from her at the table chattering away about nothing. The only thing he needed to worry about right now was where his teddy bear was. Octavia turned 8 last month. Only three years left until Hogwarts. Lily was grateful Octavia didnt have her blood, it made Slytherin less likely a choice. She shouldn't have worried, times would be different now, wouldn't they? Would Slytherin house still hold the same prejudices with Voldemort in hiatus? Harry was a different story. She could only imagine his placement in Slytherin house to be a bad thing. He was already known for having defeated Voldemort. If he was placed in Slytherin Lily was afraid he would be picked on much worse than even she had been. Harry had killed the mastermind many Slytherins and their families stood behind, at least that's what everyone thought. In reality it had been Voldemort's own spell that did him in.

Life wasn't without worries like she had hoped it would be now that Lord Voldemort was gone. Lily worried every night that it would be their last night without him. She worried about how Harry would ultimately defeat Voldemort. Would it come at the cost of his own life? She felt her throat grow tight as she thought of the high possibility of him dying. No, no she couldn't do this. She couldn't keep torturing herself with these thoughts when no one knew what was to come. Worrying about it all wouldn't change a thing but drive her crazy. She fell asleep that night swearing to help her son in anyway she could, just like she did every other night.

The next morning presented a new worry, one of their neighbors. Lily sat on her front porch while Ava and Harry played in the yard. Severus was in the house experimenting with potions. What he was working on she didn't know but she did know it was a stress reliever for him. If he felt even a little like she did about their futures he would need all the stress relief he could get. Lily had been lost in her own thoughts when out of the corner of her eye she saw another woman glaring at her from the yard next to her Lily was confused. They'd only lived here for a few months, what could they possibly have done to warrant this scrutiny? Then it hit her, that wasn't just any woman. That was Nora Mullin. Memories flashed through her mind of Nora from when they were at Hogwarts. Nora had been one of her roommates and had been the most passionate about blood puriry. When Lily had stopped associating herself with Slytherin house at Severus' request Nora had been unforgiving about the change. She'd booby trapped Lily's bed on more than one occasion. Lily had never told Severus what happened when she had cut ties with them all. Lily could take care of herself perfectly fine. She was more than sufficient in spells and potions and had given out her own retaliations. Lily had enjoyed the pay back she dished out. Perhaps her favorite was the Vestimenta Utilium curse she had created. It made clothes shrink slowly over time. Slow enough that no one would think it was a spell yet quick enough that Nora had thought she had gained weight. It was a childish curse but oh was it fun. The harsh voice of Nora broke Lily from her thoughts.

"Lily, did you hear me? I asked you to keep your filthy spawn quiet." Nora quipped

"Excuse me? What did you call them?"

"You heard me. I see you shacked up with that meddling Snape boy. That's alright, you deserve each other."

"Yeah, you're right. We do deserve each other. We are both much better people than you will ever be. It's nearly noon and we are in our own front yard. My CHILDREN can do as they please. And guess what? Soon there'll be a third spawn to drive you nuts."

Nora rolled her eyes "James always did brag about what an easy lay you were."

Lily was taken aback, Sev had been her first...and her last. She had never slept with James. "At least people are willing to sleep with me." She looked Nora up and down. She was a wreck to be honest. Her clothes were worn and dirty. She was twitchy and had a crazed look in her eyes. Lily wondered if Nora had gotten her hands on some muggle drugs. Something about her just wasn't right. Lily called the kids inside. They didn't need to be around such an influence and the woman was bring out the worst in Lily too.

Lily was seething over the short conversation. "Sev? Can I talk to you alone?" She yelled up the stairs. She could hear the clangs of cauldrons as he tried to straighten up before coming downstairs and into their bedroom.

"What's wrong?" He asked concerned.

"We have a positively lovely neighbor, Nora."

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you're talking about?"

"NORA, Severus, she was in my house."

"No...there's no way she could be living here."

"Well she is, and right next door. Not only did she call our children 'filthy spawn' but she also called me a slut."

"I don't understand why she'd say either of those."

"She knows we've 'shacked up' and I'm sure she remembers you had a kid at 16, something she always looked down on and frequently talked about. She doesn't have a high opinion of you, of any of us."

"She doesn't know anything about us. She's never even had a proper conversation with me and I don't recall her ever talking to Cassia. I know for a fact Nora wasn't a Virgin when she finished Hogwarts. She had sex with half the school. I wouldn't even give her opinion a second thought. Things like this are good to use occlumency on."

"Severus, why are you not more upset about this?"

"You said it yourself, I had a kid at 16. That's definitely not the worst thing someone has said to me. And I know for a fact that our kids are so much more than she believes. It's her loss that she'll never know."

Lily nodded and looked to the ground biting her lip. Her old nervous quirk was back "Did you ever hear any rumors about me?"

Severus frowned in thought. "No...not that I can remember, why?"

"According to her, James told everyone I was an easy lay."

He shook his head "I don't believe it. He was mean and vindictive but he wasn't a liar. I'm sure if he had said that I would have at least heard it. Don't let her get to you, it's just what she wants." He embraced her. She had always been an insecure person and although she had changed so much from their young days in Cokeworth she still kept pain buried deep inside her. "If it still bothers you we can ask Remus." Only then did he realize that Remus was the last marauder left. James and Peter were dead and Sirius was in Azkaban. Remus had lost his family too. "I think we need to invite him over." She nodded, still pressed to his chest and barely hearing a word he was saying.


	53. Chapter 53

They had an uneventful few months. Life was fairly normal for them now. They enjoyed their growing family and mingling with their neighbors. It was the middle of May now. Flowers were starting to bloom as the weather warmed up. Lily was 7 months pregnant and they had decided to wait until birth to know the gender. For the first time in their married life they got to talk about their hopes for the future. Severus was set to leave with Dumbledore to hunt for horcruxes when the current school year ended. Dumbledore was positive he'd found the location of one and had information on another. It filled the Snape family with hope that someday soon this would all be over and they could live a normal life.

Severus was back to helping Remus with the wolfsbane potion. He no longer needed to go undercover as a werewolf and was relishing in the fact that he could stay sane all month long. Severus was enjoying being able to experiment with potions again. Lily visited the hospital a couple times a week. She had plans to finish her internship but so much time had passed that she needed to relearn some skills. Octavia went to a muggle school like Lily and Severus had been. They'd had to homeschool her in the past. Now that Octavia went to a real school with other children there would be no going back. She would fit in perfectly at Hogwarts. Harry would be two years old in just over two months. He talked nonstop and was a terror around the house. He enjoyed climbing and being destructive. He was a typical toddler and it drove them nuts. It wouldn't have been life without a little bit of insanity.

Suddenly one night, seemingly out of nowhere, Severus received a patronus for Dumbledore. Tonight was the night, they were to search for a horcrux. Dumbledore arrived late that night. They were going to be searching in an abandoned house. They'd use enchantments of course to protect themselves but Dumbledore wanted to take as many precautions as possible. No one would be outside this time of night, especially in the out skirts of town.

They apparated to a dingy, dilapidated building. It looked as though it had been empty for years but clearly had never been taken care of in the first place. Severus couldn't fathom why Voldemort would hide a horcrux here. It was so unlike the grandeur that Lord Voldemort preferred.

"What is this place?" Severus asked.

"This, dear Severus, is where the story of Tom Riddle begins. This was the home of his mother, Merope Gaunt, and her criminally insane father and brother."

Severus nodded as he shifted through the dusty contents of what used to be a house. "Why here? I thought he didn't want anything to do with his family?"

"I don't think it has anything to do with the Gaunt family specifically. They are the descendents of Salazar Slytherin and were a pure blood family. Everything he holds stock in."

Severus shook his head in disbelief "I shouldn't be surprised he places more importance in blood than being a good person."

"He never has." Dumbledore lifted up a particularly loose floorboard. "Severus, come. I believe this is it." Severus stopped his searching and walked to where the Headmaster was standing. Before he could even see what Dumbledore had found the old man dove to the ground to snatch up what looked like a ring.

"Albus! Do-" But it was too late. He had slipped the ring on his finger without a second thought. Adverse reactions started almost immediately. Albus began to convulse and fell to the ground. Severus tried to pry the ring off of the shaking man's finger. Albus tried to grab at his own hand which seemed to be burning. Finally Severus petrified him and used a spell to wriggle the ring off of Dumbledore's finger. The ring was tossed to the side and forgotten as Severus went to work with the healing spells Lily had taught him. When he had the curse under control he grabbed with ring with a piece of cloth and apparated home with the still petrified Albus Dumbledore.

Severus banged on the door for Lily to answer. She came running and within minutes Dumbledore was on the couch while Severus fumbled through his potions looking for the right ones. It was for situations like this that he always kept a stock on hand. He found the ones he wanted and raced downstairs to tip them into Albus' mouth. Lily was frantic and kept asking what had happened and what was wrong. Severus ignored her as he tended to the headmaster. When he dribbled the last potion into his mouth he watched as the burned skin began to diminish and look whole again. Severus released the petrification spell.

"Why would you put on that ring?" Severus asked exasperatedly.

"Severus, I-" Dumbledore began before he was cut off.

"You're lucky I was there. I was able to stop the curse, you shouldn't have any lasting effects. If anymore time had passed you may not have made it."

"It was foolish of me. Thank you, Severus."

Something was off, Dumbledore was distant and clearly had his mind somewhere else. Severus couldn't figure out why Dumbledore had put it on, it was just a ring.

"I have the ring. I will hold onto it until you are ready to destroy it. We don't need to take any more chances."

"We can destroy it now if you'd like."

Together they apparated to an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere. Under disillusionment charms they destroyed the horcrux using fiendfyre. It was painful to be apart of. When the fire started there was a piercing scream. Out of the smoke rose images of Severus' life. The death of his father, order members, Cassia, everything that had ever hurt him appeared. There were also images of his greatest fear, Voldemort coming back. Dumbledore was also visibly disturbed and Severus silently wondered what he had seen but it wasn't his place to ask. When the fire died down Dumbledore picked up the now safe and destroyed ring. He looked particularly at the stone that had been set in it and Severus watched as his face fell. Something about that ring bad been special to Dumbledore and now it was gone.

"I'll contact you again when I know more about the other horcux." Dumbledore said in a flat voice.

"Don't go without me and don't touch anything."

"It won't happen again Severus. It was never about it being a horcrux, it was about what this particular one was made of. This was the only one in existence. Now that it's gone you have nothing to worry about."

Severus nodded unsure of what to say. He wanted to ask so many questions but Dumbledore was a private man. If he had wanted Severus to know he would have said something by now. Severus accepted it and they each appeared to their own homes.

"Sev, can you please tell me what happened?" Lily asked yet again.

"I don't...I don't know. He said he found it and as I was walking over to him he put the blasted thing on. It was cursed. I got it off before it did permanent damage but I still don't understand what would compel him to do that. It's just an ugly black and gold ring."

"You think he would know better. Surely Voldemort wouldn't leave his horcruxes unguarded."

Severus sighed "I don't get it either. He was disappointed that we completely destroyed it. Said something about it being the only one in existence. I have no idea what he's talking about."

"I don't know, he is getting pretty old, maybe he's losing it a bit."

Severus shook his head "No, that's not it."

Severus was in his potions room working on his wolfsbane research when Lily came running down the stairs.

"Sev!" She called frantically "The baby's coming, now!"

He was up in an instant. He sent a patronus to his mother and gathered Harry and Octavia. The four of them, soon to be five, apparated to St. Mungo's. Eileen and Virginia arrived shortly after they had. They put Lily in a room and all that was left was to wait and wait they did. Hours passed before anything actually happened. That night at 8:23 pm Lily gave birth to a boy.

"Alright, Mrs. Snape, I need you to start pushing again." The mediwitch said a few minutes later.

"What are you talking about?" Asked a sweaty and tired Lily.

The doctor looked at her confused. "You didn't know you were having twins?"

"No!" She looked over at Severus and saw that he was whiter than usual. This couldn't be happening. They prepared for one baby, not two.a When Lily couldn't push anymore, she was ready to give up. With one last push came a little girl. The babies were cleaned and handed to their parents. Lily held them while Severus went to get their mums.

He stepped into the waiting room to see their anxious family. "Is it here?" Virginia asked excitedly. Severus nodded, he'd let them find out there was two the same way he had. He followed Eileen and Virginia into Lily's room while holding the hands of Octavia and Harry. He heard Virginia gasp when she stepped through the doorway. Eileen leaned over to get a peak. "Severus...why does she have two? Why didn't you tell us she was expecting twins?"

"We didn't know either. We got the same surprise as you. There's one boy and one girl."

Eileen gave her much taller son a hug "I'm proud of you, son, congratulations.' He smiled and hugged her back before walking to Lily and taking one of the babies. They hadn't decided on names yet. They had had a few picked put before but now they need two and nothing seemed right. They both had Lily's dark red hair. The girl had gotten Lily's eyes and the boy had gotten Severus' eyes. To the anguish of Severus, the new little boy seemed to have gotten his large nose as well. He groaned when he saw it.

Their mums didn't stay long. They left with Harry and Octavia so that Lily could get some sleep. Before she drifted off they decided on Valerian for the boy. It was perfect being both a plant and a potion ingredient. They named the girl after a flower like Lily had been. She was named Violet. It was late and they both fell asleep. They woke several times during the night to care for the new babies. Early the next morning the mediwitch came in and performed Lily's exam with her wand. She was cleared to go home. She was still exhausted and Severus helped her dress. Together, each holding a baby, they apparated home.

They hadn't planned on needing things for two babies. The nursery had been set up for a while before the babies were born but now they needed double of everything. Severus conjured another crib and the babies were placed in bed. He helped Lily shower and change before helping her into bed. She had given birth less than 12 hours ago. Virginia and Eileen came by with the other two children. Octavia was ecstatic to see her new brother and sister. She was disappointed when she learned they were asleep. Severus assured her she would see them again soon enough. Harry didn't care. He was just over two years old now and his only concern was running around and being a maniac. Severus wondered what trouble that boy would get himself into when he was older. He was surprised to hear a pop outside the front door. He frowned as he walked to answer it, it was Dumbledore.

"Good evening, Sir, what brings you by?" Severus asked, Dumbledore rarely came by without a heads up or invitation.

"I hear a congratulations is in order. Or perhaps, two of them."

Severus chuckled and ran his hand through his hair "Thank you, come in."

Dumbledore glanced around the room where both mums and two kids sat. "Can I speak with you in private for a moment?"

"Of course." They walked into the kitchen "What's going on?"

"I've found another.'

Severus was shocked he had found another horcrux so quickly. "What? Where? How?"

"Severus, do you remember how Regulus black was once a spy for us?"

Severus nodded "Of course."

"He died on a mission for Lord Voldemort."

"I know, what does that have to do with anything?"

"That mission was hiding a horcrux." He pulled a gold necklace from inside his robe. "He didn't hide it where Voldemort thought. I took a visit to the house of Black and found it hiding in plain site."

Severus took it "How do you know It's a horcrux?"

Dumbledore turned the necklace so that Severus could see the snake engraved on it. "This once belonged to Salazar Slytherin. Hogwarts was very near and dear to him and he finds only the most valuable things to place his soul in. I have no doubt this is it. It also gives us a clue to what the other horcruxes may be. I believe they are items belonging to the other three houses."

"This is huge. Already two down and it hasn't even been a year."

"We still have three to find that we know of. I don't know if he's made more beyond that. I'll destroy this one tonight."

Just then Valerian started to cry. "I'm sorry, Sir, I need to-"

"Of course, of course. I'll get going and take care of this."

"Thank you, Sir."

Dumbledore saw himself to the door and Severus prepared bottles for the babies. They were in for a ton of work having two new babies around. Severus didn't know how he was going to do his research now and part of him dreamed for the time to come when the kids started heading to Hogwarts. He'd never liked kids when he was younger and now he had four. If someone told him this is how his life would have turned out he wouldn't have believed them. He was married to the love of his life and they had a big beautiful family together. Everything was perfect.


	54. Chapter 54

When the twins were a few weeks old Lily left the house for the first time since they were born. Octavia was in school that day and Severus had some work to do so it would just be her and the three other kids. She apparated to the shared house of Eileen and Virginia while juggling the babies and Harry.. It was a miracle they all made it there in one piece. She was making the trip unannounced. Virginia was supposed to be off of work today and Lily wanted to surprise her. She stood out front of the brick building and knocked on the door. Inside she could here the flap sound of feet walking in her direction. The door was answered not by Virginia or Eileen but by Petunia.

"Tuney? What are you doing here?" Lily asked in surprise. Ever since Petunia had moved in with that Dursley fellow she had stopped seeing her family. She would call their mum every few weeks but that was the most anyone ever heard of her. She hadn't even spoken to Lily since that day they shared dinner together.

Harry toddled into the doorway ahead of her. Lily pushed the double buggy inside after him. Petunia hadn't bothered to answer her question and Lily knew something about her was off. She removed both babies from the buggy and carried them into the sitting room where Harry had run off. She wasn't exactly surprised to see another little boy in the room. There was no doubt that the boy was Dudley, Petunia's son. Even as a small boy he looked just like his father. Virginia was in the room as well and greeted her warmly. Lily handed over her children and went to find Petunia who seemed to have disappeared after answering the door. She looked in several rooms before finding her in the kitchen. Lily leaned against the doorway watching her sister cook.

"Petunia, why are you here? None of us have even seen you in years." Lily spoke in a harsh tone.

"I know, I-I left Vernon."

"When?"

"Just a couple days ago. I packed up some things for Dudley and left him a note. We've been staying here ever since."

Lily walked over to her noticeably distraught sister and helped her with lunch. She dropped the attitude and spoke with a warmer voice "How come Mum didn't say anything?"

"I asked her not to. You were right about him, always were. I was just too stupid to listen."

"Did he hurt you?"

Petunia shook her head "No...not physically anyway."

Petunia glanced at Lily just for a moment but it was all Lily needed. She used legilimancy on her and saw the fights, the screaming, the lying, the controlling, perhaps worst of all, the insults. Lily had always hoped she was wrong about Vernon. Her sister deserved a better life than what he could give her but all of that just proved that Lily HAD been right all along.

"Have you heard from him yet?"

Petunia nodded "He called the night we left, he was furious but I finally got him to agree to a divorce."

"That's good isn't it?"

"I don't know, I'm glad to be away from him, for Dudley to be away from him but I know he's going to screw us over. He has so much money, he'll do all he can to make sure we never see a cent of it."

Lily was angry with man, he had never been good enough for Tuney but to treat his own son this way was unforgivable. "Why don't you stay with us until you can get back on your feet?"

"You have your hands full, you don't need us to add to it. I'm fine here."

"Nonsense, we have plenty of room for you and Dudley. The boys can get to know each other. I'm sure they'll enjoy playing together. I'm not working right now, I'd enjoy some company of my own. It's been awhile since I've really seen you."

"I don't think Severus will like that."

"You don't know the same Sev that I do. It'll be fine. Come on, Tuney." Lily pleaded.

Petunia sighed as she put the sandwiches on a plate "Alright, I guess we can try it but I don't intend on staying long."

Lily gave her sister a tentative hug "We'll be happy to have you."

Lily followed Petunia into the living room. They ate their lunch with awkward small talk. Petunia had been absent in their lives for so long that Lily and Virginia no longer knew how to talk to her. Lily shared the news that Petunia and Dudley would be staying with them. Virginia was disappointed to see her daughter and grandson go but she understood why.

Severus arrived several hours later to help Lily bring the kids home. He knocked on the door expecting to see the same people as always. He had no reason to suspect that Petunia and her son would be there. When no one answered, he unlocked the door and walked inside "Lily? Are you ready?" he called from the entryway

She emerged from the doorway to the living room "Sev, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure…" He responded with a frown.

"Petunia left Vernon, she's here."

"Finally found some sense did she? It's about time she left that imbecile."

Lily glared at him "Anyways…I told her she could stay with us for a bit." Severus rubbed his face in annoyance as Lily began to explain "My mum and Eileen don't have room for her here, we do. Dudley isn't much older than Harry. I think it'll be great for all of us." When Severus didn't respond Lily continued. "I miss her, Sev. I never thought I'd get another chance with her and this is it."

He sighed "You know I can't say no to you."

"Thank you, Sev." She replied with a kiss.

"Remus is coming by later. He's supposed to start the new potion tonight."

"Are you getting anywhere with it?"

"I hope so. The transformations seem to be less painful but we hope one day to stop them completely."

"You can do it, I know you can."

"You always did believe in foolish things." He said with a smile.

Lily smiled back "I'm going to see if Tuney's ready." Lily walked away and left Severus standing in the entrance to the house. He loved Virginia but he never knew how to talk to her and she was the only one home today. His mum had finally started getting back into the potion business after the death of his dad. The Death Eater attack from all those years ago still left her scarred, physically and mentally. Today she was out at Diagon Alley buying new potions ingredients. He intended to ask for her help with the wolfsbane potion when she was ready. She could provide him with great insights. Everyone thought he was a great potions master but in reality he was nothing compared to Eileen Snape.

Lily returned from telling her mum goodbye and collecting her sister and the children, breaking Severus' thoughts.

"Um, Lily? How exactly are we going to get home?" Severus was looking at the group before him of seven people, including him. Only two of them could apparate, two of them were wild toddlers, and two of them were babies.

"I'll take Petunia home first with Dudley. She can stay there while you and I bring our kids home."

"I guess that works" Said a nervous Petunia.

Lily grabbed her sister's hand and Petunia grabbed Dudley's. The toddler fought against her. He wanted to play and run around, not hold his mum's hand. Lily smiled at her sister. She was curious how Dudley would react to apparating. With one last look at Severus the three of them disapparated to the Snape house. The trip rendered the two year old speechless. He couldn't figure out what had just happened. He looked at Lily with big, uncomprehending eyes. "Again! Again!" He shouted suddenly, making his Mum laugh, truly laugh for the first time in years. Lily apparated back to her family and the five of them returned to their home. They were greeted by a shocked Dudley. Seeing apparation was different than being apart of it. He stared at the family that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Harry of course was used to the experience. This was how he had traveled for his entire short life. The twins were too young to realize what had happened.

"Petunia?" Severus asked. "Do you mind if I take Dudley on another trip?"

Petunia's eyes lit up, the first apparition had made her son so happy. Severus and Petunia had never really liked each other but they'd always been civil. This was the first olive branch between them.

"Yes, yes! He'd love that" She replied with a smile.

Severus approached the young boy. He was scared by this man he had never seen before. He was taller than his father and he carried a stern expression even though he seemed to be happy. Dudley shied away from him. Severus crouched down beside him so they were almost face to face. "Do you want to try that again?" Dudley nodded slowly, unsure of how to answer. Severus turned to look at Petunia. "Why don't you come with us? I think he'd prefer it." Petunia joined hands with her son and her brother in law and the three of them left.

Lily went to putting her kids down for a nap and taking some short time to herself. She was surprised how long the three of them were gone. By the time they returned, Petunia was slightly green and Dudley had a huge grin on his face. The trip also seemed to have given him trust in Severus which made Lily smile too.

"I never want to do that again." Petunia said as she plopped on the couch next to Lily. "How do you guys travel like that all the time?"

Lily shrugged. "You get used to it, the convenience makes it worth dealing with nausea."

"I guess that makes sense."

Severus left to pick Octavia up from school and Lily stood to show Petunia to her room. She had already brought her stuff in and unpacked a bit for her. It was much easier with magic after all. Petunia and Dudley would be sharing a room. Petunia gave Lily an awkward hug. "Thank you so much, Lil. I've neglected you for so long. I owe you so much."

Lily fought back tears, she was just happy to have her sister back. "I thought I'd lost you forever."

"I thought so too."

They left only when they heard the telltale sign of Severus and Octavia returning.

It was a great afternoon for Lily especially. They ate dinner together as a family and worked on getting to know each other again. They were in the middle of cleaning up when they heard a knock at the door. Severus turned away from the sink and walked to the front door. It was too early for Remus to be here and they weren't expecting anyone else. He opened it to find Alastor Moody on his front porch. That only puzzled him more. He had never been close to Moody, never cared for the auror, and he was sure Moody felt the same way about him. Alastor had a solemn look on his face and Severus knew this was not something to bring into his home. He stepped onto the porch and closed the door behind him.

"Mr. Snape?"

"Yes?"

"I regret to inform you that your mother, Eileen Prince, was found deceased in her home this evening."

"I'm sorry, what?" He must have heard the man wrong.

Alastor Moody sighed "I'm so sorry Severus."

"No…No…there's no way this could have happened. I don't understand. What happened?"

"It appears she concocted a poison and drank it. We will be preforming some tests to confirm the cause."

Severus slumped to the hard, concrete porch. "Why…?" He said more to himself than anyone else. "I thought everything was fine…I thought she was…happy."

Behind him the door opened. Lily had come to see who it was and why it was taking so long. She saw her husband sitting on the ground holding his head in his hands. He turned to look at her. "She's gone."

Lily looked at Moody, puzzled. "It appears that Mrs. Snape" He glanced at Severus "Has committed suicide this evening."

Lily's hands flew to her mouth and she sat down next to Severus and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. He leaned into her and let everything flow. He sobbed into her chest. Alastor took that as his signal to leave. With one last nod at the couple he disapparated. Lily knew that Eileen had struggled with Tobias' death but she had been doing so much better. She was just starting to become herself again. Just today Severus had said that Eileen went to buy new potions ingredients, all of hers were expired. It hit her then, she was buying potion supplies, just not for why they thought. She let a tear roll down her cheek too. Eileen had been like a second mum to her. She had saved their family, gotten them away from Lily's father and become a great friend to her mother. Lily stood up and opened the door slightly. She stuck her head through the crack and called for her sister. Petunia came towards her with a furrowed brow.

"What's going on?"

Lily ignored her question "I need you to get the children, all of them, and put them in a bedroom or something. Just somewhere they won't see Severus when I bring him inside."

Petunia could hear the sound of crying through the crack in the door. She gave a confused nod and turned away as Lily closed the door. She helped Severus to his feet and led him inside, supporting most of his body weight. She walked him to their bedroom and onto the bed.

"Sev." She pushed the long black hair away from his face "We'll figure this out. It'll be okay."

He lifted his head and looked at her "Okay? How is this ever going to be okay? You don't know what it's like Lily. The only person you've ever lost was your piece of crap father." He picked up the nearest object, a picture frame, and threw it at the wall, shattering the glass to pieces. Lily was stunned, she didn't know what to say. He was right of course but the comment still hurt. He stood up and paced the room in anger. He felt distraught and hurt and betrayed. He slammed his fist into the wall and Lily backed out of the room. She could only make things worse right now.

Petunia was waiting in the front room "What happened?"

"Eileen…she killed herself."

Petunia had the same reaction as Lily "How? When?…why?

"I-I don't know…I don't know anything." Lily leaned into her hands and cried. "We need to check on Mum" Lily said between tears.

"Maybe it would be best if she stayed here too…they were good friends and now she's all alone." Petunia suggested "Where…where did it happen? Did she do it in the house?"

"I don't know that either but we need to find out." Lily tried her hardest to stop crying and wiped the tears from her face.

"I need you to stay here and babysit while I go get her. Sev isn't in a good place right now. I can't add kids on top of it."

"Of course, of course, go, get out of here."

Lily steeled herself before turning on her spot and apparating. She arrived outside the house Virginia shared…or used to share with Eileen. She took a breath and walked through the front door. She had been here only hours ago. Lily found her mother sitting stoically on the couch. She was in shock. Virginia turned her head when she heard Lily's footsteps.

"They sealed off the room" Virginia said "They left everything in place, everything but…her." Lily sat by her mum. "Lily…did I miss something? Should I have known? She seemed fine…she's been really happy these past few weeks…It's the happiest I've seen her since Tobias died."

Lily shook her head "No, Mum, you didn't miss anything. We didn't know anything was wrong either."

"I can't stay here."

"I know, that's why I'm here. I want you to stay with us for a while, at least until things calm down."

"I need to pack."

"Just grab what you need tonight. We can come back tomorrow. I need to go home. Severus is a mess and Tuney is watching all the kids herself."

Virginia nodded in understanding. She left for her own bedroom and packed a small bag. Eileen had slept in the room next to hers. Virginia stared at the door. If she had been a witch she would have been able to see the shimmer around the door indicating that protection wards had been set. The Aurors didn't believe this to be a homicide but they couldn't take any chances. They had caught and imprisoned many Death Eaters but there were still many on the run or that had reentered society using a lie as a cover up. Until they knew for sure they needed to treat the area like a crime scene. Virginia joined her daughter. She looked around the small home one last time before they disappeared.


	55. Chapter 55

He woke up the next morning feeling like his world was still whole. For a moment, just a fleeting second, everything seemed right and then it all came crashing down again. Both of his parents were gone now. Both of them had been taken from this life far too soon. He had noticed her beginning to change throughout the years. She lost her passion for things that used to mean the world to her, ever since she lost the person who meant the world to her. She'd been depressed for a long time after the death of Tobias. He'd missed his father of course but he'd never really understood how it affected her. He turned his head and glanced at Lily who was still peacefully asleep. He imagined how hard it would be for him if he lost her. She was his reason for living. Without her and their kids his life had no purpose. He didn't even want to imagine her being ripped away from him like how Tobias had been torn from Eileen. You can do everything right, be the perfect person and in the end it all turns to crap anyway. He'd certainly learned that over and over again.

He didn't want to get out of bed, he didn't even want to move. He wasn't ready to start his life without his mum. He hadn't see her everyday but he'd still always known where she was and how she was doing. The last time he'd actually seen her was just over a week ago. She'd been trying to downsize and get rid of some stuff. She had been getting rid of things that had been important to her, important to him, things that had belonged to his father and it had angered him. They'd had a small argument over it all but nothing serious and they worked it out. In the end he'd given his Mum a hug before walking out the door. He didn't like having feelings at all to be frank but he understood the importance of showing them to others. Since the death of his girlfriend he always made sure to give a hug or say I love you before leaving, even if he was angry. He'd been taught that life ends too fast, without any sign beforehand and he wanted to make those moments matter just in case they were the last.

He checked the time and learned it was only 5 am. He didn't want to be here. He pushed himself out of bed and dressed quietly. In the kitchen he scribbled a quick note before walking out the door and apparating to his mother's last home. He used his wand to unlock the door. Of course, no one was home, but it still felt too quiet, too still, too...empty. He walked through the house in silence. There was no one to accompany him but his thoughts. Stupid things that had never mattered to him were a big deal now. He remembered how much his mum liked to eat peanuts. She liked to buy them from muggle markets still in their shell. Just the thought of them made him long for her to be there.

He made his way to what she had hoped to make her potions room. It was full of objects that had been pushed to the side and forgotten about. It had become more of a storage room than anything. Her old cauldrons lay haphazardly on the floor, covered in dust. He found the one that had been her favorite. It was an ugly thing. It had once belonged to his grandmother, his Mum's mum. It had been used for many decades and was now warped and covered in chipped paint. He held onto as he dug through the cardboard boxes in the room. She'd lost most of her belongings in the attack that had taken his father's life but he was still able to find a few things that had been precious to her. He found the stash of photos that she'd been able to save and set them aside with the cauldron. There wasn't much else to search, her room had been sealed off while they investigated her death. He stood in front of the bedroom door knowing that just behind the slab of wood was a black stain on the carpet, the poison that she had drank. Knowing that that room held her pain and grief and most importantly, her last moments. That would have been the only other room in the house with personal effects but even if he'd been allowed to go in he didn't know if he could.

As he crossed the house to leave, something on the fireplace in the front room caught his eye. He hadn't noticed it there before. He walked towards the picture frame that stood on the mantle. It was from the day Octavia had been born, the first time Eileen had ever held her. She beamed at the little baby before glancing up at Tobias who was holding the camera. Severus grabbed this as well and put it with the few other things he wanted to take home. Home... He dreaded going back to home and going back to life. He'd have to tell the kids that their grandma had died. Octavia would be devastated. Virginia was the only grandparent she had left now, just a few years ago she had had five, she'd been born after the death of Frank. The other three kids wouldn't really understand, they were too young to have really known her, especially the twins. He just dreaded having to say it out loud. He felt like it made her death official. Of course there would be questions and he didn't want to answer them. He didn't even know how to answer them. Just thinking about it all gave him a headache.

He shrunk the few possessions he was leaving with and slipped them into his pocket before disapparating. He arrived in front of his childhood home in Cokeworth. It was still just a ruin, a relic of what had happened. The town was too poor to tear it down entirely and so it was left standing precariously with nothing but a "Danger" sign. He looked at the house and memories flooded back to him. He remembered walking through that front door with Lily for the first time. He remembered tending to his Mum's herb garden and how meticulous she liked it. He remembered sitting at the kitchen table while his dad helped him with his math homework. He suddenly wanted to leave as badly as he'd wanted to come. It was too painful, too fresh. It just reminded him that now he had another funeral to plan and he'd have to do it all alone. He apparated home.

It was eight o'clock by the time he made it back. Lily was the only one awake. She was already dressed and in the kitchen making pancakes. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his chin on her shoulder. He felt her stiffen at the touch.

"I'm so sorry, Lils. I never should have treated you that way, you were just trying to help."

"I won't say it didn't hurt but it's okay, I understand."

He began kissing her neck and worked his way to her lips.

"I can talk to Ava if you'd like." She suggested.

He rubbed his eyes "No…I better do it." He sat at the table and held his head in his hands. Everything was just so overwhelming right now. She sat next to him and rubbed his back as they listened to the bacon sizzle in the pan. Just then Petunia walked into the room. She stopped at the sight of Severus, not sure what to say.

"I'm…I'm sorry for your loss, Severus. Your Mum was a great woman."

"Thank you, Tuney."

She smiled at the sound of her nickname. He'd only ever called her that in a mocking manner but this time it was sincere. She walked to the counter and poured herself some coffee. "Mum and I thought we'd take Dudley to the zoo today, get out of your hair. She's not working for a few days with…everything that's happened. If you'd like we can Harry and Octavia too."

"That would actually be really great, Tune. We've got to break the news to Ava today. Harry loved her but he's too young to understand it. I think the zoo would be a great way to cheer her up after and give us some time to work things out." Lily replied.

"We'll get ready and leave as soon as we can." Petunia walked from the room to care for her son

They heard the thud of small footsteps coming down the stairs, the signal that Octavia was awake. She came in the kitchen fully dressed and carrying her backpack. She set it down on the floor to grab some breakfast before school. She hadn't noticed her dad sitting in the corner.

"Ava, honey, you're not going to school today." Lily told her

A smile crossed her face at the revelation she would be staying home.

"Octavia, we need to talk to you." Said Severus.

She turned to look at him for the first time. He had dark circles under his puffy eyes and looked more tired than she thought possible. "What's going on? Is this about your fight last night? Are you getting divorced?" She sat next to him and he took her hand with a small chuckle.

"No, your Mum and I are fine. Last night…Nana passed away."

Octavia stared at him blankly, confused. "How?"

Severus swallowed and looked at Lily. "We…we don't know yet." He lied, how do you tell a seven year old about suicide?

"But…why?" She asked, still confused.

"I don't know, Ava. Sometimes people just die without us understanding why."

Tears started to spill from her eyes as she pieced things together. "She died? She's really gone?"

Severus fought back tears of us own. Hearing the words again were painful. He just nodded and pulled her close. The lump in his throat wouldn't let him speak. She cried into her father's chest. Lily took Severus' place at the table and tried to calm the little girl down.

"Excuse me." He mumbled as he stumbled his way to the bathroom and shut the door. Lily just let her cry. She couldn't make things better this time.

"How does the zoo sound?" Lily asked. Octavia just shrugged her shoulders.

"Grandma and Aunt Petunia want to take you, Harry, and Dudley out today. Is that okay?"

"I guess" She said between sniffles.

"I know it hurts, Ava, it's hard for us too but I need you to be strong like I know you can. Things will get easier. I promise."

She nodded in Lily's bosom and sat back "Okay."

"Eat some breakfast, I need to get your siblings up." Lily stood and left the room. She let herself into the bathroom that Severus had escaped to. She expected to find him a mess but instead he just stood there looking into the mirror "I just don't understand how she could do it, how she could be so selfish. She had a family."

"Sev, it's not that easy. She was in pain, for a long time. She hid it well but we knew it was there. We tried to help her but she didn't want it. It's been several years since your dad died. I think she tried, I really do, I just don't think she could take it anymore. She didn't do it to be selfish, she didn't do it to hurt you or the kids. She did because she was in so much pain she couldn't see any other way out."

"There we're signs…so many signs and we missed them. I could have stopped this."

"We didn't know, we thought she was doing better. Even if we had noticed them we couldn't guarantee that she could have been saved. You did all you could with the information you had. She loved you, Sev, just remember that."

"I'm trying but I'm just so angry with…with everything. If the Death Eaters hadn't found them, if dad had lived, if I had convinced them to move when we were on the run, none of this would have happened."

"You don't know that. She could have been struggling for years. Maybe your dad was just the last straw. This isn't your fault, Sev. You can't fix what you don't know."

He nodded in silence and turned to face her. He pulled her into his arms and just held her.

"It's just us and the twins for a while. We don't have to make plans for the funeral yet, we can wait. We can't bury her anyway until the investigation is over. Let's just take some time for us today. We'll get through this, we always have. She's not the first person you've lost and she won't be your last but for now I'm not going anywhere, none of us are." That was his Lily she had always been his source of light in a world of darkness and she proved it to him more and more each day.

"I love you." He said

"I love you more."


	56. Chapter 56

The loss of his mother made him more bitter and reserved. He snapped at everyone and everything, sometimes without reason. Lily tried to tell herself it was just a phase and he wouldn't always be this way. It had only been three weeks since Eileen's death. He just needed time to heal. The investigation into her death had only taken a couple days. They concluded it was indeed suicide and removed the wards that had been placed on her room. Severus went into the room almost immediately to collect the rest of her things. There wasn't much left, she'd given most of it away but he did find a few books and other sentimental items to take home. They had to change the carpet in her room. The spilled draught of living death had burned a hole through it and there was no way to fix it. Lily helped Virginia pack up and move. Virginia had no desire to stay in the house now and Lily didn't blame her. There was a muggle village only a few miles from Dagby, where the Snape's lived. With a few simple spells, Lily helped her sell the old house and purchase the new one. Virginia found a reasonably sized home that could easily accommodate her, Petunia, and Dudley. The sisters and their sons had enjoyed being with one another but now there was no excuse for Petunia to stay there. They promised Harry and Dudley that they would be able to see each other often. The two of them had become good friends in the previous few weeks. Lily was overjoyed to have her sister back in her life, something she never thought would happen. Petunia was just waiting for the divorce to be finalized and then she'd be free. Vernon didn't fight her for custody of Dudley. He had never particularly cared for the boy. He only wanted kids to make Petunia happy but clearly it damaged their relationship.

Eileen's body was released once the investigation had concluded. They buried her in a small ceremony consisting of only the Snape and Evans tamily. She was buried next to her Husband in the remote hillsides of Lily and Severus' first house. They had had no choice when they buried Tobias there. They were in hiding and couldn't hold a proper funeral. With Eileen's death they could have buried her anywhere but It was only right that Eileen be buried alongside her husband. They had been separated long enough in life and now they were together again in death.

Years passed by them and brought many changes. Lily returned to and completed her internship with the hospital. She was now a fully qualified healer and spent the majority of her time in St. Mungo's. When she wasn't working she was home with her family. Severus joined the research team at St. Mungo's but was able to do his research at home. He had all the supplies a potions master could ever need. There was no need for him to have another lab when he already had one in his home. Because of that he was able to stay home and watch the kids more often than not. Attending potions didn't take all day. There was usually a lot of waiting in between steps.

With the help of Severus, Remus was now able to walk, talk, and think like a human being during the full moon. He still sprouted hair and claws but it was no longer painful for him. As long as he took the potion the night of the full moon he was fine. He'd been able to get and keep a job as an auror. They were aware of his condition but he had proved to them that he was rendered harmless with the potion. On more than one occasion the aurors liked to take a transformed Remus with them on raids. They knew he was harmless but the suspects did not. They enjoyed seeing the look of terror on the faces of criminals. His condition remained under tight wraps for several reasons. A rumor went through the wizarding community that the ministry had recruited a werewolf but no one knew who it was and very few people believed the rumor. For now they could use it to their advantage. Eventually Severus wanted the potion available to all afflicted with lycanthropy but that hadn't yet become a reality.

Dumbledore and Severus had been able to locate and destroy yet another horcrux. Dumbledore was right about Tom Riddle using historical school artifacts to contain pieces of his soul. Severus, being a Ravenclaw, spoke to the Ravenclaw ghost about the whereabouts of her mother's diadem. She had been reluctant to give up the location of the tiara. It had been defiled by magic once already and she was afraid it would happen again. Eventually however she gave a clue to it's whereabouts and after much searching the two men were able to find it in the room of requirement. It was destroyed with fiendfyre like the horcruxes before it. It was the only manner available to them. Although it was no charred beyond recognition, it's remains returned to the school where they belonged.

The only item belonging to Gryffindor was the sword. It was kept under tight watch in the headmaster's office and had been for years. Being goblin made it only took in that which made it stronger. Dumbledore doubted it would accept a piece of Voldemort's soul if he'd ever even been able to obtain it. There were no other Gryffindor objects that Tom Riddle would have deemed good enough to withhold a part of him. They had already destroyed a locket belonging to Slytherin house and the diadem of Ravenclaw. That left just the house of Hufflepuff. The item that had belonged to Helga Hufflepuff was a chalice. The only problem was that they had no idea where it could be. The ghost of Hufflepuff was no help with finding it unlike how Helena Ravenclaw had been. There were three horcruxes down and only one to go. It brought relief to the Snape family that Harry might not have to face Lord Voldemort at all. There were still five years until he would attend Hogwarts. Until then he would rarely be out of sight from his parents. Their only goal was to keep him safe until the threat of the Dark Lord was truly gone.

Octavia turned 11 in 1986. She received her letter to Hogwarts as expected. Her parents were so proud that she'd been invited to attend Hogwarts even though they always knew she would. Lily and Severus took the day off to take her to King's cross station. Along with her she brought her mum's old barn owl, Archimedes. Over the years the owl had turned into a pet. Whenever they needed to communicate with someone they usually sent a patronus. It was much faster and more efficient. That level of magic was clearly beyond that of an eleven year old. There was no reason to withhold the owl from her who was happy to have a job again. The family of six filed through the 9 3/4ths station to the Hogwarts' express. It was as brilliant a red as it had ever been. Nothing had changed. Everything looked the same from the last time Lily and Severus had been at this station. Octavia was thrilled to finally be attending the school she had heard so much about her entire life. With a quick goodbye to each of her parents she dashed off to board the train. She wasted no time in finding a seat. As the train chugged out of station she watched her parents and siblings on the platform slowly disappear from view.

Lily tried to hold back tears as their oldest child began her new journey in life. Like most parents dropping a child off for the first time, they stayed until the express was out of view. When it was long gone they piled into the car they had borrowed from Virginia and drove the short distance home. Severus didn't exactly have a driver's license but his father had taught him how to drive many years ago. Lily, having grown up in a muggle household had the same limited knowledge. It was enough for them to arrive home without being pulled over.

The house seemed much quieter now and so empty without the talkative preteen in the home. It was a big change they would have to get used to with each child. Early the next morning they received a letter from Octavia. It was short but to the point. Much to Lily's surprise, Ava had been placed in Hufflepuff. Severus wasn't shocked at the news but he thought for sure his daughter would be in Ravenclaw.

"Cassia told me once that she was very nearly a hat stall between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw." Severus shrugged off the news like it was nothing.

"It's not a big deal but I would have at least liked to know it was an option." Lily said, shocked at the new revelation.

"You should have known it was possible. I come from a long line of Slytherins yet look where I turned up."

"I'm just glad she won't have to worry about house rivalries. Hufflepuffs aren't ones to cause trouble."

"They're kind and loyal, Ava will fit in perfectly."

Octavia had promised to write to them at least once a week. She held up her end of the deal only barely. She was busy with school work and making friends. So far she was enjoying herself more than Lily and Severus ever had.

"I wonder what Slytherin house is like now." Lily speculated one day. "Voldemort is out playing dead so he won't be searching for recruits like when I was there."

"We can ask her about it when she comes home for Christmas."

Lily shook her head "She won't know. Not much leaves the house of Slytherin. The rest of the castle remained in the dark about a lot that went on there."

"What about you? Did you tell me everything?"

"Not exactly…there was no use making you worry. There was nothing you could have done anyway."

It was his turn to come clean. "Do you remember back in second year when we had a small break out of boils?"

She frowned trying to recall the memory. "A bit."

"That was yours truly. I overheard some Slytherins talking about you and your 'dirty blood'. I just slipped them a little potion along with a couple others to make it less suspicious."

"That was you? They were paranoid for weeks that it might happen again. Madam Pomfrey said it was potion induced but they didn't know where they came in contact with it." Lily was laughing now. "Thank you, Sev."

"You know I'd do anything for you." He said with a quick peck. "I don't know if you know this but Cassia was a rebound. I never got over you but I didn't know how else to cope and I thought it would make you jealous. Things just kind of escalated…"

"No, I didn't know. I never got over you either and started dating James for the same reason. I hated being with him. He was all tentacles and I wasn't interested but you seemed to have moved on and I tried to too. When I couldn't take it any more I ended things. You guys were getting pretty serious anyway. It was obvious dating James wasn't going to change anything between you and I."

"We were so stupid. We wasted so much time that we could have spent together."

"Yeah, we did." She agreed. "For a while in sixth year Remus and I actually dated… Cassia was pregnant, you had plans to marry her and Remus asked me out. We were together for a few months but it was never anything serious. Eventually we decided to just stay friends. I guess it was a good decision since I got back together with you not too long afterwards."

"I cant believe you never told me that….I can't believe Remus never told me that!"

"We kept it a secret. He didn't want to hurt James and I didn't think you would care."

"So you worked your way through the Marauders didn't you?"

"Hey now! Only two of them! Sirius was just like James, he wanted to get into every girl's pants and Peter was, well, Peter." She shuddered at the thought of him. "And now it's just Remus."

Severus nodded. "I never would have thought Sirius would give away the location of James' family. It just doesn't make sense. He was James' best friend and now he's dead because of it and Peter too. Sirius will be in Azkaban the rest of his life."

"We shouldn't be surprised, he is a Black after all. Nearly all of them turned to Voldemort. At least Sirius owned up to joining him. He didn't lie like so many of the other Death Eaters to remain a free man."

"He never had the chance. He was taken to Azkaban without trial like Dumbledore thought he would be. A lot of Voldemort's followers were actually-"

The rest of his sentence was cut off by a knock at the front door. Severus stood up from the worn couch where he'd been sitting with his wife and went to answer it. "Albus? What are you doing here at this hour?" It was late at night, far too late for any visitors. Dumbledore never popped in just to say hello.

"He's been sighted in Albania. The Death Eaters are beginning to suspect he's alive and are willing to do everything they can to help him. Some of them have gone missing. We can only assume they're searching for him to bring him back to power."

"What are we going to do? We have to find that cup. Without it there's no hope of defeating him." Severus said frantically.

"I've searched in every place he has a connection to, the orphange, riddle manner, the grounds of Hogwarts…Severus?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Do you think you'd be able to take me to his old headquarters?"

"I can try…I believe it's still under the fidelius charm. If you can provide me with what the cup looks like I may be able to find it myself."

"It's worth a try. Desperate times call for desperate measures and these are desperate times indeed."

"Do we need to go back into hiding to protect Harry?"

"No…he is safe as long as he calls this his home. The protection you and Lily provided him that Halloween night will keep him safer than any fidelius charm. Until he is 17 Voldemort won't be able to touch him."

Severus heard Lily give a sigh of relief behind him. "And sir?...what about me? My arm still bares his dark mark. If he is becoming stronger like you said then it's only a matter of time until he comes after me."

Dumbledore sighed in defeat. "I do not know, Severus. I've looked in every book and contacted every source that may be able to help us with blood magic but this mark is too new, too different from anything else. Until we know more about the original spell there is nothing we can do."

Severus fought to bury his fear of being tortured and killed. "I'll search for that at headquarters as well. As soon as I know what the chalice looks like I can begin my search for both of them"

"Tomorrow evening, after the feast, meet me in my office. I can use the pensive to show you what it looks like. That'll be better than any description I can provide."

"I'll be there. Thank you, Sir. Goodnight."

Severus stared at the door for a moment after Dumbledore's departure. He had so much that lay ahead of him and he might not be able to accomplish any of it. Behind him the sweet voice of Lily broke his thoughts.

"Sev…can I come with you to the castle tomorrow? I'd…I'd like to see how Octavia is doing."

"You know you don't have to ask. Call Petunia tomorrow and see if she can watch the kids while we visit Hogwarts."

The next morning she did as he said. Petunia was more than willing to watch the children and it provided Lily with great relief. Together that night she and Severus apparated to Hogsmeade, just outside the gate to the grounds. It had been so many years since they were last here. She realized then that the last time she here was the night her family was attacked, the night of Lord Voldemort's downfall. She was more than happy to be here under different circumstances.

They arrived at the castle a few minutes early while the feast was ending. They each peeked through the door in search of their daughter. They eventually spotted her across the room sitting with another girl. She looked so happy to be there. Lily could finally put her mind at ease.

They made their way to Dumbledore's office and waited for his arrival. Ten minutes later he appeared and ushered them inside. Lily sat on the couch while Severus and Dumbledore discussed business. Professor Dumbledore removed a large, shallow platter from inside one of the cabinets. It floated of its own volition in front of them. Although Lily had never seen it before she had no doubt this was the pensive. Dumbledore poured a silvery substance into the basin and both he and Severus stuck their heads in. Lily laughed a bit at the scene before her. They emerged only a moment later. Severus knew what he had to look for now and he didn't want to wait to begin his search. Lily apparated home from Hogsmeade to anxiously await the return of Severus while he went and searched Voldemort's old headquarters. She was sure he would be safe, that Death Eaters no longer lingered around the building but the thought didn't quell her fears.

Severus arrived in front of the warehouse he had been in so many times. It was dark and seemed much larger now that he was alone. He slid his wand out from his robes and held it out in front of him just in case. He looked both ways as if crossing the street before stepping out of the shadows in the nearby alleyway. With silent footsteps he made his way to the building and pushed open the door.


	57. Chapter 57

Severus noticed the dark mark on his arm was beginning to grow darker and darker. He began visiting wizarding libraries and book shops throughout Britain and following any leads he could on someone who could help with blood magic. He was becoming increasingly worried about the return of his old master. He was restless at night and exhausted during the day. He was missing more and more work as the thought of Lord Voldemort loomed over him. This was his life after all, without it he quite literally had nothing. Dumbledore had been no help but Severus wasn't surprised. Dumbledore had dabbled in or at least learned about every aspect of magic but he wasn't what one would consider a dark wizard. Plus, blood magic was rarely seen any more. The few books that still existed about blood magic were tattered and worn or in a completely different language which rendered most of them unreadable. He had been searching over the past few years for answers on getting rid of the mark but hadn't become serious about the search until Dumbledore informed him that Voldemort was rumored to be in Albania. Now, after months, if not years of searching he found something. Not only was it the first helpful source he had found but he had found it close to home in Knockturn Alley. It was at a used dark arts book store that he found the book. He had requested to be contacted if a book relating to such a topic came in and to his great surprise someone did give one up. Severus had recieved an owl informing him of the book's arrival and apparated straight away. He arrived in the dusty store and searched the shelves until he found it. It was an extremely worn, black leather book. The pages were curled and yellow from age and abuse. He didn't care what condition the book was in he was just happy to have found something at last. He reached for the book eagerly and yanked it off the shelf. The book was titled "Tenebris Sanguine". Severus opened the book, anxious for some answers and was disappointed to find that it was written entirely in Latin. He groaned audibly at the discovery. Still he held on to the book and searched the store for something that could help him translate it.. When he found one he felt suited his needs he walked to the front counter and placed the books down for purchase. The clerk looked at the cover then back at him with a raised eyebrow but said nothing. Severus only glared back, daring the man to challenge him. He slapped the required amount of sickles and knuts on the counter and left with his purchase.

Severus apparated home and found Lily helping Harry with his muggle homework. Both she and Severus had agreed to send all of their children to muggle schooling. They needed to learn more than witchcraft in life. History about the muggle world, muggle magic, and muggle science were just as important. Lily was helping Harry solve simple math equations. He was in primary school now. Severus stared at them both lovingly. The time had flown by so fast. He couldn't believe how old his children were getting. Lily hadn't heard him enter their home but felt as though she was being watched. She lifted her head and looked behind her where she saw him leaning into the doorframe with a soft smile on his face. She looked down to see what he was holding. She gasped when she saw the two books in his hands.

"You found something?!" She exclaimed. He hadn't told Lily about the letter he'd received that morning letting him know the book was available.

"Not exactly."

She frowned "What do you mean?"

He walked over and placed "Tenebris Sanguine" in front of her. She knew the book was old and opened the pages carefully. She studied the words in front of her "This is...Latin."

"I see you've noticed the problem." He placed the other book in front of her. "The search won't be easy but it's a start. I'll be upstairs if you need me." She nodded and he turned to leave the room while she turned back to their son.

Severus sat at the desk in his potions room and opened the book to the first page as he listened to the potions bubbling behind him. The sound soothed him and he felt more prepared to take on the task ahead. He had known some Latin, he'd used the language to create spells in the past but it was far from being enough to read an entire book in the language. He translated the names of the chapters and wrote them on a piece of parchment so that he wouldn't have to translate them again. He found one he thought would be useful and flipped to it. It was titled "The Use of Symbols in Blood Magic". The dark mark was a symbol...wasn't it? He began rewriting the chapter on a separate piece of paper word for word. He could already feel pain brewing in the back of his head. He kept at it for several hours, not noticing how much time had passed.

He jumped at the sound of Lily knocking on the door. He lifted his head from the desk, realizing he had fallen asleep. He glanced at the paper he had been writing on and found many words had been smudged with his drool. He wiped his still wet cheek and stood to open the door.

"Dinner's ready" Lily said softly. "We're you sleeping?"

He rubbed his eyes "Not intentionally."

"Did you make any progress?"

He turned and gestured to the stack of papers containing the English version of the book. "Some I guess. One part mentioned that the ritual needs to be preformed with the blood of the castor. I'm assuming that means he created the dark mark with his own blood but I'm not sure what that has to do with removing it. I honestly can't see him deeming any of us worthy enough to touch his blood. He calls himself 'Lord' after all" Severus said with a bit of an eye roll. "Oh well, at least It's something."

"Come eat for now. I'll help you release some of the tension once the kids are alseep" She gave him a wink and he willingly followed her from the room hoping that it was nearly their bed time.

xxxx

Severus felt as though he was translating the entire book. He'd been trying to pick the chapters he thought would be the most helpful but still hadn't found much information. He'd been writing down the translations so that he could go back without having to redo it all. There wasn't a chapter dedicated to reversing blood magic and eventually he learned why. Many of the spells were done with rituals. You couldn't unmake the potions or unburn the candles, you couldn't remove the blood that had been placed, It was practically impossible to undo it and that was partly why it was so dangerous. It killed any last hope that he had had of undoing his greatest mistake. If he couldn't undo it he would have to find a way to counter act it.

He began experimenting. The book seemed to be leading him nowhere but it did give him ideas. He thought he had tried everything until he read up on the ancient art of bloodletting. Muggles believed that bloodletting had been used to heal the sick but it had magical intentions as well. It was worth a try in this case but Lily couldn't know. She wouldn't be comfortable with what he was doing. The day he decided to try it he locked himself in his potions room by performing wards around it. Lily would get the hint that she shouldn't be there but she would also be able to get to him if something went wrong. She knew how to undo his wards. He had taught her everything he'd ever created. He tied a tourniquet just above his left elbow and picked up the blade. He forced himself to make a small cut below the dark mark. He bit his lip as he dragged the knife across his skin. Never in his life had he intended on harming himself and it took courage to do so but he knew he had to do this and he had to do it fast. He couldn't wear the tourniquet forever. He let the blood run down his wrist and into a clean jar. It would be needed for the next step. The jar was small but it didn't take long to fill. When one third of it was full of the deep red substance he sung a healing spell with his wand directed at the gash and watched as the skin stitched itself back together. He removed the tie above his elbow and washed his arm. It was time for step two. He followed the intriquite lines of the dark mark with a trail of his own blood. He copied the dark mark in its entirety until his arm bore a red skull with a snake slithering from it's lips. As his blood dried he touched the mark with the tip of his wand and murmured the spell he had been fine tuning over the past few weeks "Retexo Aggrava!" He said hopefully. He watched as the blood seemed to turn darker and darker. It blotted ontop of his skin as though it was about to roll off. When it began to drip he wiped it away and stared at his arm with unbelieving eyes. "LILY! GET IN HERE" He screamed, forgetting about the wards he had set. Moments later he saw the handle on the door jiggle as she attempted to turn it and that jogged his memory. He quickly undid the couple of wards he had set and she burst through the door.

"What?! What's wrong?!" She looked around the room and all she could see was blood. There was blood on the desk, on his papers, on his clothes, his fingers...She rushed over to him "Where are you hurt? What did you do?"

Severus gave a hearty laugh and she looked confused. She hadn't seen him smile that big in ages. His life had seemed to suck the happy from him. She hadn't truly seen it in years "Lily, look." He held his left arm out in front of her and she took hold "You...you did it?" She stared at his arm astonished. "...How? I thought you said it wasn't possible?"

"I don't know for sure if it's gone or not. I won't truly know until Voldemort comes back. He may very well still be able to kill me. All we can do is hope that it's gone and not just invisible."

"I still don't understand how you did it."

"Erm...I had to use a bit of my own blood."

She looked around the room "A bit? It looks like a crime scene in here. You better not get murdered because you've just made me look like your killer."

He laughed again and embraced her. "I won't make any guarantees. There are probably at least a few Death Eaters who'd like to see me go."

"You sure as hell better not let it happen."

"I'll try my best. For you, I'll do anything." She pressed her lips to his. He kissed back for a moment before pulling away. "I need to see Dumbledore. I need to show him."

"Of course, I understand. Just make it quick."

"I"ll try." He stepped through the front door and paused before apparating. He inhaled the crisp evening air. It felt more refreshing than ever before. It felt as though he had received a new lease on life. He had felt doomed upon joining the Death Eaters, it was his own fault of course but he hadn't done it with the intention of dying. He had done it with the intention of saving his family. Even now he wasn't sure of that plan had even worked. Lord Voldemort had come after them anyway. He pushed the thought from his mind. He didn't want to think about his failures when he had just triumphed so greatly. He looked at his arm again. There was nothing there but his milky skin. There was no gray outline as there had been before. He hoped it would stay that way. He had had no way to practice his spell before performing it on himself. The dark mark was unlike anything else. There wasn't an abundance of them in the universe for him to experiment on. He had been his own guinea pig but so far it seemed to have worked and he was relieved. He took one last deep breath of the fresh air and apparated to Hogwarts for what felt like the millionth time. He thought back to when he was a young boy. He was lying beneath the oak trees by the dirty cokeworth river next to the prettiest girl in the world. They talked about nothing. He couldn't even remember the words anymore but as he turned his head he saw her lips grow with the release of a laugh. Her eyes sparkled in shades of green he didn't even know they had. It was the moment he knew he was in love with Lily. With this thought he conjured his patronus and watch as his silvery fox bounded off to the castle baring his message. He waited for what normally would have felt like forever but he was too busy enjoying his new lease on life. The creaking of the old, steel, Hogwart's gates startled him from his thoughts.

"Severus, care for a night cap?"

"Certainly" He replied with a joyous tone he didn't even know he could make. The two men walked to the Hog's Head inn in silence. Severus didn't want to spill the news yet and Dumbledore hadn't asked. They entered the dingy tavern and Dumbledore ordered two glasses of mead from a man that looked suspiciously like him. He and Severus sat at a secluded table near the back of the room. Dumbledore took a sip from his drink.

"What is it you wished to speak to me about?"

Severus composed himself and began undoing the button on his black sleeve. He pulled the tight fabric up on his arm and showed Dumbledore what was beneath.

Dumbledore took a large swallow and stared at the forearm speechless. "It's not possible." He murmured to himself. "How did you do this? Where did you find the information on it?"

"I didn't exactly. I certainly looked but there's not really anything out there on the subject. One source told me it was nearly impossible to do. I figured if I can't undo it why can't I just replace it? I believe they cancelled each other out."

"You did this by yourself?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Severus, do you realize what this means?"

"Sir?"

"Do you remember that conversation you had with Selwyn?"

"Yes..."

"Severus, I believe that when Lord Voldemort returns he will do anything to have his followers back, many of which are in prison. What if we could market a way for his followers to leave him? You said yourself that many of them were deceived when they joined and that many of them regretted it. Upon his return, Voldemort will be weak. He will rely on the others around him. If we can demolish that support system we will be one step closer to destroying him. Severus, you have accomplished something that even the greatest wizards have failed to do. I didn't think we'd ever be able to get rid of that mark. Oh yes, I thought we could try but I never thought we would succeed." Dumbledore shook his head in disbelief.

"I think we should contact Selwyn. He seemed desparate for a way to leave Lord Voldemort. Some of his followers speculate the Dark Lord's return but not all of them. Let's see if we can take advantage of those that don't. Selwyn will be a good place to start and he may be able to lead us to more. He's been living in Azkaban after all and has been closer to the other Death Eaters than either of us."

"Lucius Malfoy doubts his return. Bellatrix seems to be one of the few who believes Lord Voldemort will be back. I've had some of the past order members watch some of the Death Eaters. I've been informed that Lucius has been visiting Knockturn Alley frequently. We believe he may be trying to get rid of some dark objects that may or may not have attachment to Voldemort. Let us hope that one of those is the cup belonging to Helga Hufflepuff."

Severus raised his glass "One step closer."

Dumbledore raised his as well and clinked it against the glass in Severus' hand "One step closer."


	58. Chapter 58

Severus decided that blood could be removed a better way. It would be less traumatizing and there would be little to no pain involved if he used to a spell. And so before he and Dumbledore began contacting Azkaban Prisoners, he began working on a spell for such a need. It took him several weeks to find the correct words and wand movement but finally he had it down. Dumbledore had a great influence among the wizarding community. He didn't tell the aurors why he wanted to speak with prisoners. He was sure they wouldn't allow it if they knew the reasoning. But he seemed to have no trouble getting them to agree. He and Severus met with their first test subject nearly four months after Severus had removed his own mark.

The aurors hadn't informed Selwyn why he was being taken out of Azkaban. Prisoners never left once they were there and they certainly never had visitors. Selwyn was placed in an interrogation room. His hands and legs were chained to a table so that he couldn't harm anyone. The room was lit by a small torch on the wall. It cast shadows more than anything. He waited anxiously, nervous for what was to come. The old metal door finally squeaked open and in walked a man he knew, a man he hadn't expected to see.

"Severus? Is that you?"

Severus stepped into the room first with Dumbledore close behind. Severus nodded. He looked at the man who had been locked in Azkaban for several years now. He had lost a significant amount of weight and was covered in grime. Severus could not only see it but smell it too. "Do you remember what we talked about last time we saw one another?"

"How could I forget? Why?"

"Have you heard the rumors of Lord Voldemort's return?"

Selwyn's eyes grew wide. He was full of mixed emotion. He feared the Dark Lord's family, feared the safety of his family, but it also could mean his freedom. "No…we're kept in the dark about everything over there."

"Dumbledore and I knew that he would return one day. We've know it since the day he was defeated. The only question was when. He was recently spotted in Albania. He exists in a spirit like state with no body but it's only a matter of time until that changes."

"I don't understand what that has to do with me?"

Severus began unbuttoning his left sleeve. "I've been experimenting. When the Dark Lord returns I'm afraid he'll come after me for my disservice." He held his arm out for Selwyn to see. "I was able to remove the mark. I don't know if that means I'll be out of his reach. I won't know until Voldemort tries to contact me. I do know that its worth a try and I would like to offer help in removing yours."

"Why do I need it to be removed? I was loyal to him and I'm sure he'll learn how many of us have been imprisoned. I don't think he'll harm me."

"It's not about him harming you. It's about you no longer being a Death Eater." He made eye contact with Dumbledore then.

"We have reason to believe that Lord Voldemort will form a mass break out of Azkaban upon his return. If you are among those he frees, he will believe you to still be on his side. He will attempt to call you with the Dark Mark but if it's been removed he won't be able to. That means he won't be able to hurt or kill you through the mark as well." Dumbledore said.

Selwyn began putting together the pieces. "Will you be contacting other Death Eaters about this as well?"

"That's another reason we wanted to talk to you. We were hoping you may be able to guide us to other Death Eaters who would be interested. The more marks we remove the less support Voldemort will have upon return."

"I know of a few that may be interested. When can we do this?"

" We can do it here and now if you'd like."

Selwyn nodded vigorously. He was ready to be free of the tattoo.

Severus spoke again. "Now, the mark was created with blood magic. That means to remove it it has to be done in the same manner. I'll require some blood to perform the incantation."

"It's either blood or my life. Take what you need."

Severus walked to his side of the table. Selwyn's chains were loose enough that he could turn his arm over, providing Severus access to work. He pushed the tip of his wand into Selwyn's left wrist and procured a potions vial to hold underneath. "Evado Cutis!" Severus said forcefully and the red liquid began to drain from the skin beneath the tip of the wand. When the wand was removed the bleeding stopped instantly. Both Selwyn and Dumbledore stared at Severus in wonder. Dumbledore had heard him speak of the spell but hadn't seen it performed. Selwyn didn't even know the spell existed.

Like Severus had done with his own mark, he began painting Selwyn's arm. When the mark was fully covered he muttered the second spell. "Retexo Aggrava!" The three men watched as the blood on his arm began to darken and run off. Only then did Severus wash the other man's arm. The three men looked at the now blank arm that had once been defiled with dark magic.

"Severus…I don't even know where to begin."

"Don't thank me yet. We don't know if it worked for more than cosmetic purposes. Here, I have something else for you as well." He reached into his pocket and removed a slightly bent piece of paper. He placed it in the hand of Selwyn. Selwyn looked at it with tears in his eyes. It was a photograph of his wife and daughter who was now five years old. She was playing with her toys before turning to smile at the camera. Her mum was laughing the background.

"The aurors said you could keep it. They're not worried about you using it to escape."

"Thank you…thank you so much. Do you have a piece of parchment?"

Dumbledore took some spare parchment from inside his robes and conjured a quill. He slid them across the table. Selwyn began to write as best he could in handcuffs. When he had listed several names he pushed the paper back. Severus looked down at the list and was surprised to see the first name. "Lucius? But he's the Dark Lord's right hand man."

"Regretfully so. The Dark Lord wasn't happy with him shortly before his defeat. Lucius mistakenly gave away one of his possessions that he had been entrusted with. He barely made it out alive after that meeting. Now that the Malfoys have a child they are willing to do anything to protect their son. I would be surprised if he wasn't interested in what you have to offer."

Severus glanced down the list. "What about Sirius Black?"

"What about Sirius?"

"You don't think he'd be interested?"

"What are you talking about? Sirius was never a Death Eater. At least not that I knew of."

"Sure he was, he was the one who gave him James and Catherine Potter."

Selwyn looked confused. "No…no he wasn't. That was Peter Pettigrew."

Severus felt his heart sink. "Say that again."

"Peter was his spy in the Order. The Potters were originally going to use Sirius as their secret keeper but they changed their mind at the last minute. They figured Peter would be less of a suspect. Eventually he gave up the location."

"How come I-we didn't know this?"

Selwyn shrugged. "I guess the Dark Lord didn't trust you as much as he led on."

Severus sat back in his chair dumbfounded and looked at Dumbledore who was equally as shocked.

"That certainly explains why Sirius killed him." Severus couldn't wait to tell Lily. She'd always had a hard time believing that Sirius was involved. She would be overjoyed at the news.

"Well I'm sorry but I believe we must be going." Dumbledore rose from his chair as he spoke. "Thank you for your cooperation. We may be in touch for more information if we need it." Severus followed suit. He bid the other man goodbye and followed Dumbledore from the room. Once they were in a less populated area Dumbledore spoke softly. "We need to find that possession Lucius gave up. It may lead us to the remaining horcrux."

"I believe he's next on our list then."

Severus and Dumbledore split and apparated to their separate homes. It was late afternoon by the time Severus arrived home. The twins were asleep and Harry was watching TV. Lily had just returned from work and picking Harry up. She was still in her scrubs when Severus walked through the door.

"How did it go?" She asked.

"Much better than expected. We had an interesting chat."

"Oh?" She wasn't sure if she should push the topic.

"He was able to give us some more names and possibly led us to the final horcrux."

"That's great news! When are you going to find it?"

"That's not all, Lily. Sirius is innocent."

Lily stopped what she was doing and looked at him. She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"It was Peter. It was always Peter. He was their secret keeper." Severus thought back to that day after the attempted raid on the Longbottoms. Lord Voldemort had asked two men to stay behind. Severus remembered watching the portly man walk up to him. He d seemed familiar at the time and Severus had informed Dumbledore. He hadn't been able to see Peter's face. He had no way of knowing it was him but now it all made sense.

"I always knew something was off about it all. Sirius was James' best friend. It makes perfect sense that it was Peter. What's going to happen to Sirius?"

"I don't know yet but you know Dumbledore. I can't see him letting an innocent man rot in jail. I'm sure he'll fight for his freedom. I just hope he can be successful. I'll talk to him about it when we look for the horcrux."

Severus and Dumbledore got their chance to speak to Lucius a week later. Lucius had aged and Severus was sure it was from the stress of the Dark Lord's imminent return. Lucius had jumped at the idea of removing the mark. They bargained to remove the mark on the grounds that he would lead them to the possesion. Neither Dumbledore or Severus informed him of why it was so important the object be found. Lucius revealed that it wasn't the cup like Dumbledore had expected. It was the diary that had belonged to Tom Riddle during his Hogwarts days. That only worried Dumbledore more. They thought that the cup belonging to Hufflepuff was the last one. If this diary ended up being a horcrux too then how many more were they missing? How many more had Voldemort truly made? Severus was restless for many nights afterward. They thought they were so close to ending him but now that possibility seemed more unlikely. Lucius wasn't even sure he could get the diary back. Severus was worried sick. He thought back to the prophecy he'd heard so many years ago. "For neither can live while the other survives." If they couldn't kill Voldemort then the only other option was for Harry to die. He couldn't bare the thought of it all and kept it all from Lily. It wouldn't do to worry her as well. Severus just had to hope they were on the right path and that they could kill him before he could kill Harry. He hoped with all his heart that his son would never have to meet the sadistic man again.


	59. Chapter 59

Lucius Malfoy had given Tom Riddle's diary to Borgin and Burkes. Dumbledore and Severus begged him to return and find some way to get it back if it hadn't already been sold. Neither of them could do it. It was too suspicious. Dumbledore and his intentions in life were obviously well known. The shop owner would never fall for it. Severus' name had become infamous after turning against the Dark Lord. He could never pretend to be dark again. Lucius however was known to the underground as a Death Eater. Last everyone had heard he was the Dark Lord's right hand man. After much persuasion he agreed to buy back the diary. With Dumbledore and Severus awaiting his return at Malfoy Manor, Lucius apparated to Knockturn Alley.

The disgruntled man arrived outside of the dilapidated, dusty building. He wondered how they had even remained in business. He remembered visiting for the first time as a young boy. Few items in the building had been sold. The cursed necklace sat in the window display with an exorbitantly large price tag just as it had the last twenty years. He pulled the door open and the tinkle of a bell sounded announcing his arrival. A man with a slight hunchback emerged from the back of the shop. He had greasy, shoulder length hair and a face only a mother could love.

"Ah, Mister Malfoy. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Lucius sneered. "I have a request to make, Mr. Borgin."

"You have more to sell me?"

"Quite the contrary, I need you to sell me something."

"What are you looking for? We've got a tea set over here that causes hysteria in it's drinkers or-"

"Perhaps another time. Do you remember the leather book I sold you last month?"

Mr. Borgin feigned thought. "No, I don't believe I do."

Lucius narrowed his eyes. "The one with a name stamped on the front? Well you see, I made a mistake and it's owner is in need of it."

"What could a dead man need a diary for?"

"You've been mistaken. The Dark Lord cannot be defeated by a mere child. He is alive and getting stronger every day. Mark my words, Borgin, he'll be back and he won't be pleased to learn you've gotten rid of an important possession of his."

"Are you mad? The blasted book was empty. All sales are final, Mr. Malfoy."

Lucius inspected his fingernails as he spoke. "Perhaps but there are no rules about me buying it back."

"Tough luck, we wouldn't sell such an item. Your precious Lord will have to find another."

"I'm sure he'll be pleased to hear those words. The Dark Lord isn't very…forgiving." Lucius forced a smile. "Are you sure you want to take that risk? He will always find a way to get what he wants. You better hope you aren't standing in the way of it. He won't hesitate to reduce you to rubble."

"He can come for it himself. Perhaps next time he should be more careful of who he leaves in charge of his possessions."

"Don't question the Dark Lord's motives-" The small bell rang again, signaling another customer. "I'm not through with you, Borgin." He glared at the man before turning and giving the door a heavy shove. Once out of the building he apparated home. Inside he found Severus and Dumbledore having tea and eating sandwiches with Narcissa and Lily. "At least someone's enjoying themselves."

Severus swallowed his mouthful. "How did it go?"

"Not well. The objects not up for sale."

"Not up for sale? What could he possibly want with it otherwise?"

"I don't know. He was very secretive about it all. Why is it so important we get it back?"

"The less you know-"

"The safer I'll be, I know, I know. But just maybe if I knew I could be of more help."

"We'll just have to try plan B." Dumbledore said.

"What's plan B?" The two men asked together.

"Have either of you tried polyjuice potion before?"

They both looked uneasy. "Will we receive detention if that answer is yes, Headmaster?" Severus joked.

"I should have guessed as much." Dumbledore sighed. "It's not an easy job being headmaster. You try keeping a close eye on nearly a thousand students."

"It's probably for the best you don't know all that goes on inside those walls. You'll never be able to stop them anyway."

Dumbledore looked at Severus over the rim of his glasses. "Let us hope then that your daughter doesn't get into the same mischief you did."

Severus heard a stifled giggle across the room and looked over to see Lily trying to hide her laughter. "He is right you know." She said.

Lucius interrupted. "Alright, so you want me to ask about the diary as someone else?"

"Not quiet. Severus here is quite skilled in legilimancy. The two of you will go disguised as someone else and Severus can try learning more information about it's whereabouts. I'd like you to be there as back up incase he gets suspicious. Does that work for you two?"

"I guess" Severus said. "What else is there to try?" Lucius nodded in agreement.

"I think it would be best to wait a few weeks before trying again. We don't want to ruin our chances with this diary. In the meantime, I have another task for you, Lucius. There is one more item of his we are looking for. It's a golden chalice bearing the emblem of Hufflepuff. Does that ring a bell?"

Lucius put a finger to his lips in thought. "It does sound familiar. I think I might have seen it before. Bella had a cup with some type of engraving on it and a few jewels around the handle."

"It sounds likely that may be what we're looking for. Do you know where it is?"

"Unfortunately it's out of your reach. It's in her vault in gringotts."

Severus slammed his fist on the table and stood up. Something was always in the way.

"It looks like we'll need polyjuice for more than one mission then." Dumbledore said.

"Wait…you can't seriously be thinking about breaking into gringotts?" Severus asked "It's never been done successfully."

"Under ordinary circumstances I wouldn't be thinking about it but seeing as we have no other option it may be necessary. There's a first for everything. I think we'll have to inquire about opening a vault of our own in order to access the inside of the bank. With Bellatrix in Azkaban we won't be able to impersonate her without being caught."

Lucius spoke up "I'm not agreeing to anything, we aren't putting our lives and freedom in danger until you tell us why this is so important?"

Severus and Dumbledore made eye contact. There was no way around it. It was Dumbledore who brought it up. "Lucius, Narcissa, I believe you know what a horcrux is, correct?" When they nodded he continued. "Well we- Severus and I, have been searching for Lord Voldemort's and destroying them."

"Wait, them?" Narcissa asked "There's more than one?"

"We've destroyed three of them so far. We believe the chalice and diary are the only remaining ones."

"How can you be so sure?"

"We can't unfortunately. We just have to hope."

"Have you considered Nagini?"

A confused expression entered Dumbledore's eyes. "What's a 'Nagini'?"

"It's who, not a. She's his snake. He's had her for several years now, always keeps her close to him. I don't think many Death Eaters even know she exists."

Severus shook his head "I didn't. Great, another thing we have to look for. How are we going to tell this snake apart from all the others in the world? Where could he possibly be hiding her?"

"That I don't know." Lucius said. "I can only assume she's in Albania with him but I don't know how he would have gotten her there."

"You know more about him than anyone. Do you know where he lived? Is it possible she could still be there?" Dumbledore asked hopefully.

"I know the general area of his house but not the exact location. I can't imagine she'd be there. She'd be dead by now with no one to feed her."

It was Severus who spoke next. "Well maybe we should search his home as well. He might have something there even if it's not the snake."

Dumbledore agreed. "We have a lot to do then. Lucius, I would like you to begin looking for his house while we work on the other plans.

"It's weird isn't it?" Asked Lily. "I can't imagine Lord Voldemort sleeping or enjoying a cup of tea. To think he had a whole life outside of his reign of terror. That he's a human being just like the rest of us."

"I believe the term 'human being' loosely fits him. It's harder to believe that someone can be that heartless." Responded Severus.

"Well, I have a school to attend to. I'll be formulating some plans and get in touch with you four. Lucius, keep me updated on your search." With a tip of the head Dumbledore turned on the spot and disapparated.

"The four of us? This mission is no longer you and Dumbledore, is it, Sev?"

"No…I don't think it is."

Severus and Lily spent the remainder of the afternoon in Malfoy Manor. Lily had been in Slytherin house with both the Malfoys. She had asked to come along with Severus when he informed her where he was going. She enjoyed reconnecting with Narcissa specifically. Both Lily and Severus were overjoyed that Lucius and Narcissa had finally decided to join the light. They had a son that was the same age as Harry. They made plans to let the two boys play together. Lily hesitantly asked if it would be okay for her nephew, a muggle boy, to join them as well. She was relieved when Narcissa agreed. Dudley, like Harry, hadn't made many friends and he was only a few months older than Harry and Draco. Severus and Lily left the manor that night feeling more hopeful than they had in a long time. It was daunting that yet another horcrux had become a possibility but at least they were on their way to destroying it. They apparated to the home of Lily's mum and sister who had been babysitting their kids. The family of eight had dinner together before Lily and Severus went home that night to enjoy their time alone together. Their world had a newfound freedom as they drew closer to the final defeat of Lord Voldemort.

Life was quiet for a few weeks until one day Dumbledore showed up at the door. "Who's ready to rob a bank?" He asked with a mischievous gleam in his eye. He wasn't one for unnecessary misbehavior. Seeing as this one was necessary he was quite excited about it. He stepped into the Snape home with Narcissa and Lucius close behind. Dumbledore pulled four vials of polyjuice potion from within the pockets of his robes and placed them on a nearby table. "Now, I believe we'll be needing some of your hair, Severus, Lucius."

The two men looked at each other confused. Who was turning into them and why on earth was that necessary? Without approval from either of them, Dumbledore snipped hair from each of them and added them to two of the potions. He removed more hair from within his robes and added them to the other cups before handing a cup to each of the other people in the room. "Drink up." He said with a wink. It seemed only Dumbledore was aware of who had received which cup.

Severus looked down at the grotesque, green potion with disgust. He pinched his nose and held the potion to his lips draining it in one gulp. It took all he had to keep it from coming back out. Looking at the others it seemed they were having the same problem. He felt the skin on his hands began to bubble with change and he watched as his skin color darkened a bit. He felt his long black hair recede from his shoulders. His clothes began to bag on him as he grew shorter. He was too preoccupied with his own transformation that when it was complete he looked up to see himself staring back at him. What made it worse was the fact Lily had been wearing a dress when she transformed. It was a look he never cared to see on himself again.

"Hello, Sev." The voice of Lily came out of his lips, well, her lips.

"Don't, that's creepy." He drawled with a step back. He turned to see Narcissa and Lucius. Where Lucius had been standing there was now a muscular man with dark brown hair and earings. Across from him was Narcissa in the body of Lucius.

"Albus, why are they" He gestured to the women "Us and who are we? Can't we be ourselves?"

Dumbledore grinned. "They are your alibi. You, Severus, are Robin Blackburn." Dumbledore handed him a new wand. "And you, Lucius, are Elias Hornebolt." He handed him a wand as well. Now, I want you two to go to Gringotts under the impression you are opening an account. They will use your wands as identification so be sure to hand them the ones I just gave you. Once you are taken to the back of the bank you will need to imperious the goblin that's leading you to your new vaults. You will instruct him to bring you to the vault of Bellatrix. Unfortunately, there will be an obstacle in your way. When you first enter the train cart you will go under a waterfall that will remove any enchantments, hence another reason for the imperious curse."

"How are we supposed to get out?" Severus asked

"You'll have to figure that out." Severus looked at Lucius with his eyebrows raised.

He tossed them each a set of clothes. "Now get going, your hour is counting down. I'll explain more later."

When they were ready, Lucius and Severus grasped each other's wrist and apparated to the outside of the bank. Severus exhaled "Let's do this."


	60. Chapter 60

Lucius walked into the bank first. He was going to take the lead. He had a lot more experience with the goblins than Severus did. Severus and Lily didn't even have an account at Gringotts. He was impressed with the grandeur of the interior. He tried not to stare at the marble pillars or glass ceiling but this was so much better than the muggle bank they kept their money in. Lucius elbowed him in the stomach. "Focus, Se-Robin."

Severus cleared his throat and looked ahead as they approached the desk. "Excuse me, Mr…" Lucius looked at the name plate in front of the goblin. "Mr. Furlok, my business partner and I would like to open an account."

"Do you have a deposit?" The goblin snarled.

Lucius rummaged in his pocket before handing over a sack of gold. The goblin inspected it carefully before speaking again. "I'll need your wands." Lucius handed over the new wand that Dumbledore had given him. The goblin looked it up and down. "Elias Hornebolt?"

"That's correct. Robin, give him yours."

Severus stepped forward and handed over his new wand as well.

"Robin Blackburn?"

Severus nodded. He was too afraid he'd accidently speak with his normal, easily recognized voice.

"Right this way." The small man hopped down from the stool and grabbed a set of keys. Severus and Lucius followed him through a door behind the desk. They went down a set of stairs before exiting out another door and into the massive cave system below.

"Now, what size vault wer-" Lucius wordlessly preformed the imperious curse. The three of them were alone. It was now or never. Without another word, Furlok turned and headed down a path leading to a set of mining carts. They crammed themselves inside and set off. Not long after their departure did they travel through the waterfall Dumbledore had mentioned. Unfortunately it undid the imperious curse as well but it was a problem that was easily rectified. Lucius had been prepared and the Goblin hadn't even noticed their change in appearance. The cart dove deeper and deeper underground. This place had to be full of hundreds of thousands of vaults. Severus was astounded at that place. It was worth keeping an account here just for the experience. Hopefully he wouldn't lose that opportunity after today's excursion. The cart finally grinded to a halt and they were faced with an even bigger problem than they had expected, a massive pure white dragon. Furlok stepped out of the cart in a daze. Lucius commanded him to get them past the dragon and he obeyed. He walked over to a pillar and picked up a bell like instrument. Severus and Lucius stood as far from the menacing dragon as possible. It was lunging at them and pulling at it's chain. It was covered in scars from years of abuse and Severus couldn't help but feel bad for the creature. Furlok began shaking the bell in his hand and the beast instantly began to retreat revealing a metal staircase leading up to Bellatrix's Vault. They ran in it's direction, afraid the dragon would come after them again. Furlok was given more orders and he slowly followed them up the staircase. He fumbled with the key for the vault.

"Faster!" Bellowed Lucius with an anxious expression. At last the goblin found it and the vault was unlocked. This should have been the easy part but they weren't that lucky. It was full of dozens upon dozens of golden objects. They peaked in every crevice for the cup of Hufflepuff. They rummaged through trunks and cupboards frantically. It was only a matter of time before Furlok's continued absence became suspicious.

Severus gestured towards a set of shelves "You look there and I'll start checking the other side." Lucius nodded and headed in the direction Severus had pointed. _ It has to be here somewhere _ Severus repeated over and over in his head. Minutes ticked past and it only worried him more. Finally from across the room he heard Lucius' voice.

"Severus?" Severus turned to look at him hopefully. "Is that what we're looking for?" Lucius pointed to a small golden cup just like Dumbledore had described.

"Yes, I believe it is. Hurry, we need to get out of here."

"Accio!" Lucius cried to no effect.

"That doesn't work on horcruxes." He looked over the room for something to stand on. "Here, get on the table. That should put you high enough."

He used accio to bring the table closer and Lucius took a step up. He was just barely able to wrap his fingers around the handle and pull it off the shelf. He tossed it to Severus. "Let's get out of here!"

They rushed towards the goblin standing in the doorway who relocked the vault on Lucius' command. In the distance they could hear voices getting closer.

"How are we getting out of here?" Lucius hissed.

Severus looked around for any where they could escape. "Her."

Lucius followed his line of sight. "Are you mad?! We can't ride a dragon!"

"Unless you want to waste precious time looking for another way out then we have to." He backed up on the metal platform before taking a running leap with Cassia in mind. Right in this moment he was living her dream, riding and freeing a dragon. He could have done without the felony part but nevertheless here he was. He scrambled up the back of the angry dragon with Lucius right behind. At the last moment he cast a disillusionment charm over the both of them and just in time, the guards had arrived.

"Disconnect that chain" Severus whispered.

Lucius ended the imperious curse on the goblin before casting a silent bombarda. The chain exploded from the brick wall scaring the dragon in the process. She flew up towards the sky expecting to be yanked back like always but not this time, now she was free. Severus clutched onto a large scale on her back. He saw they were nearing the roof of the cave and he buried his head, unsure what to expect. The tough rock was nothing for the beautiful dragon. She burst through the floor of Gringotts and then straight through the glass ceiling. She stopped on the rooftop to breathe in the fresh air she had longed for for so long before setting off in an unknown direction. When they were out of sight from Diagon Alley Severus undid the disillusionment charm and apparated home hoping that Lucius would do the same. He landed in his backyard so as not to be seen arriving at his front door just after the crime. He unlocked the backdoor and walked in to see Lily and Narcissa sitting with Dumbledore and back to looking like their selves. Narcissa was first to notice him "Where's Lucius?" She asked with a hint of fear in her voice.

"He should be here any second. He's fine. We got it." Lily rushed towards him and jumped in his arms, ignoring the fact he was wet from the waterfall. She kissed him hard. The front door swung open and Lucius entered the home. He was wet but otherwise unscathed, much to Narcissa's pleasure. Both men dried themselves with a Hot air spell and changed back into their own clothes. Severus was much too tall for Robin's suit and Lucius was much to small for Elias'. When they were done they reconvened in the sitting room.

"Alright, old man, start explaining." Severus commanded.

"How about we see our prize first?"

Severus removed the goblet from his robes and handed it over.

Dumbledore examined it. "This is it alright." He tucked it away in his robes. "We'll destroy it tonight."

"Why was it necessary for Narcissa and Lily to transform?" Lucius asked.

"Like I said before, they were your alibi. The three of us held a fake meeting. Should either of you be suspected for the break in I can provide memories showing where you were at that time."

"And what about their alibi?"

"I highly doubt that they'll be suspected but just in case I have performed some simple transfiguration charms on Petunia and Virginia to look like Narcissa and Lily. Being muggles, polyjuice potion wouldn't affect them but charms are different. They are out at the park with the children where they can be easily seen by other people."

"That seems to tie up all the loose ends." Lucius stated.

"I have one more question, who were we?" Severus asked.

"Muggles. The Order has a stash of hair and spare wands we keep for such an occasion."

Severus was pleased with the answer.

"I have some questions of my own." It was Lily this time. "How did you do it?" It was directed at Severus.

Severus looked at his partner in crime. "It was fairly easy until the end actually. Our Goblin friend was under an imperious curse the whole time. It was quite helpful. The guards did get suspicious towards the end. We we're able to escape before they caught us."

"How exactly?"

"Well seeing as you can't apparate in or out of the bank we had to improvise. Did you know some people use dragons to guard their vaults? Apparently Bellatrix is one of them."

"Are you saying you rode a dragon out?" Narcissa asked incredulously.

"It sounds a bit funny when you say it like that but yes, straight through the ceiling of Gringotts."

"I think that's a daily prophet we'll be buying. I can't believe you were successful. I'm so happy you made it back safely, Sev." Lily gushed.

"Well, I say now is a great time to have a celebratory fire, don't you?" Severus directed his question at Dumbledore.

"I think now is as good a time as ever."

Although Severus was under the impression it would be just the two of them like always all five people stood to leave.

"You can't honestly think I'm not coming with you after all that." Lucius told him.

"I've never seen it before either." Lily stated. No one turned her down. If she wanted to come then she was coming.

Severus hesitated. "It isn't exactly a pleasant experience. The horcrux fights back. It makes you relive your worst memories. There's nothing you can do but watch. If you try to stop the destruction then the horcrux remains intact and we don't want that."

"I think I can handle it."

Dumbledore pulled a hairbrush from his robe and cast a quick spell to turn it into a portkey. "Grab hold or be left behind." The other four hands shot towards the brush and the five of them were off. They landed in an abandoned field like always. Dumbledore placed the horcrux in a nearby half destroyed shed. With everyone a safe distance away he started a fiendfyre.

The horcrux let out a shrill scream and Lily quickly covered her ears. Images began to appear in the flames. She was back in time listening to her father tell her she was worthless and good for nothing. She relived him striking her across the face, the arm, any area of skin he could reach. She watched the abuse of not only herself but her sister and mum as well. Then came Sev and their fights, their break up, him moving on and forgetting her entirely. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore the flames went out and the memories stopped. She looked over at the others. They looked as disturbed as she felt and she wondered what they had relived. She looked at Sev and noticed his eyes seemed more wet than usual. She couldn't fathom how he did this every time. She never wanted to see those memories again and here was her husband on his forth time. She scooted closer and put her arm around him with her head leaning into his chest. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer as they stared at the remaining rubble processing their thoughts.

"I think its time to go." He said with a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"Albus? I know you're stopping by my family's house, can you let them know we'll be over later tonight?"

Dumbledore gave a small nod and a smile before disapparating with Lucius and Narcissa. They had to pick up Draco.

"Come on." Lily said when it was just the two of them. "Let's go out for once."

"Do you mind if we stop by the Leaky Cauldron? I'm curious what's going on." She agreed and they apparated to a nearby alleyway. They took the short walk to the pub. Severus held the door for her as she entered the building. Tom the old barkeep spoke up. "If yer here for Diagon Alley it's closed."

"Closed?" Lily asked with fake worry. She glanced at Severus. "It's never closed."

"Well it's not everyday a dragon destroys Gringotts."

"What happened?" Severus asked as they sat down at the bar.

Tom shrugged "Dunno yet. Seems like one of the vaults was broken into." He poured them each a firewhiskey.

"Do they have any idea who did it?"

"Last I heard they think it was one of the goblins. They found one of em dead at the scene under a pile of rubble. They think he was hurt trying to escape with the dragon."

Severus felt chills run down his spine. He hoped it wasn't Furlok. They never meant for anyone to die. It must have happened when Lucius preformed the bombarda. "I guess we'll be buying a paper in the morning. Looks like we'll have to shop another day, Lily. Octavia can wait a few days for her supplies." They finished their drinks and left the Leaky Cauldron.

"What are you in the mood for?"

"A good hamburger."

They transformed their robes into muggle clothing in an alley and walked until they found a nearby burger joint.

"I could use some junk food after today." Severus said as they stepped in line to order.

"I agree."

The bank robbery left no suspects, no leads. The only person that seemed to be connected was Furlok but the case remained open. Some facts just didn't add up. Bellatrix's vault had clearly been rummaged through but with so many objects and it's owner locked in prison it was hard to say if anything was stolen. Nothing had been found on the Goblin's body and there was no reason for him to try and escape on a dragon. He had access to the mining carts that no human being did. He could have returned like normal and gotten away with it. Several other goblins and guards at the bank had brought up the fact that Furlok had gone into the back with two adult, human males but they were no where to be found afterward. The names Elias Hornebolt and Robin Blackburn were listed on the registrar but they didn't belong to any wizard in England. Severus was nervous he would be found. He reminded himself that they had no reason to suspect him. He practiced occlumency to keep the worried thoughts at bay. He hid them from Lily. If he was worried then she would be too.

They apparated that afternoon to the Malfoy Manor. They were returning to Borgin and Burkes tonight. Lucius was going to take the lead once again. He had done business with the men in the past and knew how they worked. Severus and Lucius drank the unappetizing and barely edible polyjuice potion and once again turned into muggles. They received identities incase they were asked but Dumbledore didn't see a need for new wands. Even if they were caught or the polyjuice wore off the worst they would face was an angry and confused shopkeeper. This time what they were doing wasn't a crime. They apparated to the Leaky Cauldron and made their way to Knockturn Alley. Lucius pushed once again on the wooden door to Borgin and Burke's and set off the tinkling bell. They were alone in the shop and they began inspecting the objects within. A few minutes later a large, crotchety looking man appeared from the back. Lucius was relieved to see that it was Caractacus Burke this time.

"I haven't seen the likes of you here before. What are ya after?"

Lucius tried his best to speak in an American Accent. "My friend and I were wondering if you had any cursed books?" Lucius gestured to the disguised Severus. Burke looked at the man Lucius was indicating. Severus took the chance and made eye contact, subtly suggesting the diary of Tom Riddle, it was a cursed book after all.

Caractacus narrowed his eyes at the disguised Lucius. "You're working for Lucius Malfoy, aren't you?"

Lucius feigned confusion. "I'm sorry, Sir, but I have no idea who you're talking about. I was simply looking for a book to give someone as a uh, gift, if you know what I mean."

"Get out of my shop and tell that filthy friend Lucius of yours not to send any more of his henchmen."

The two men listened and exited back into the dark alley.

"Did you get enough?" Lucius hissed.

"Plenty."

They apparated back to the Manor to give Dumbledore the news. They arrived back before the potion wore off. It was much earlier than anyone had expected but they had received all the information possible before being kicked out. Luckily it was enough to go on. When everyone was settled Severus told them what he saw.

"He doesn't have it any more. He sold it to another Death Eater for a hefty price. I can't imagine him selling it to anyone other than a Death Eater. The book makes it's way into Voldemort's possession and he gets a large sum of money."

"Why wouldn't he just sell it to me?"

"Would you pay more to buy it than Borgin and Burke did when you sold it to them?"

"Originally, no, but now knowing why we need it, yes. I would pay anything for that book. Do you know who the Death Eater was?

"Nott"

Lucius groaned. "He's not exactly a friendly man. I can't see him ever turning away from the Dark Lord. It's no wonder he bought the diary. It's going to be impossible to get it now."

"Lucius, we removed the mark, we robbed a highly secure bank, we rode a dragon, we've destroyed four pieces of his soul and we know what the last two are hidden in. After all of that you're going to tell me that getting the diary is impossible? You're an influential man, Lucius. No one knows your mark is gone. This is far from impossible. We just have to find the right person to help us."


	61. Chapter 61

-Lucius contacted Nott on the impression he wanted to get to know him better. They spoke of the impending return of the Dark Lord and Lucius used it to his advantage. Samael Nott began spending more and more time with the Malfoy family. Lucius couldn't exactly just ask about the diary. It would be too suspicious. And so he put in months of work gaining Nott's trust. He had been suspicious of it all at first. Lucius had never paid any attention to him while they were serving Lord Voldemort. Seemingly out of nowhere Lucius suddenly wanted to know him. Lucius usually kept to himself. He considered most people to be below him. He not only cared about blood status but wealth as well, a category the Nott family didn't fit into

Severus was impatient about it all. He just wanted to get his hands on the diary and he didn't care how it happened. He couldn't be present when Lucius was visiting with Samael. All the Death Eaters had heard of Severus' betrayl and attack on the Dark Lord. His presence would hinder any progress that Lucius had made. While Lucius got to know Nott more and more he gave Severus a list of possible locations the Dark Lord could have lived. It had now become his duty to track his house down.

Severus was surprised that many of the listed locations were muggle towns. Severus understood why, Lord Voldemort was less likely to run into other wizards but it was still odd considering his extreme hatred of muggles and mudbloods. Severus also noticed that some of them had been fairly close to some of the homes Severus had lived in with his family. The first places he visited was Whitby. It was a lovely seaside town that recieved a lot of visitors. It would take Severus several days, if not weeks to explore the town, even if it was small. He had to walk slowly and pay attention to everything. The nice thing about this being a muggle area was that traces of magic would be noticeable. He scavanged the area looking for that special tingle he felt whenever magic was nearby. It felt like a slight vibration in the air. He felt it around him rather than in him, he just had to pay attention. It was easy to get preoccupied and miss it. Many witches and wizards didn't even know magic left traces. It was something you had to pay attention to to notice. So he walked the streets figuring he looked like a maniac. He walked a pace much slower than any human being ever should. He recieved several glares and frowns from passersby but this work was too important for him to care. He stared up at every building, examining the exterior. He felt the tingle a few times but it wasn't strong enough to signal continual magic, just singular.

He felt that all this work was pointless. He was wasting hours of his time just staring at buildings. He honestly couldn't see the Dark Lord living in any of them. He imagined that Lord Voldemort would have chosen a home that didn't need electricity or running water. Those things would require working with the muggle government and paying bills. Neither of those he could do or would have even wanted to. A place like that wouldn't be located in the main areas of town that were frequented by people he wanted nothing to do with but Severus also couldn't ignore those places incase he was wrong. He didn't want to miss the place based on his own assumptions.

Severus visited seven towns that year without any luck. The larger ones took a lot more time to explore. In some cases he had had to resort to using a disillusionment charm. He had been reported multiple times in multiple cities for loitering but was lucky enough to magic his way out of the situation. All of it was exhausting. There were very few people he enjoyed being around. The one person he preferred over his own company was Lily. Now he was exploring the world without her and was with hundreds of different people every day. He hated every minute of it. He just wanted to go home and be alone in his potions room. It seemed like Lord Voldemort had taken everything from him. He had lost his parents because of him, nearly his wife and children, his career, everything he had ever dreamed of had been made complicated or impossible by the mad man. The hatred of it all only fueled his willingness to fight and put an end to him for good.

Harry was nine, he'd be going to Hogwarts in just two short years where his parents would be powerless to protect him. Severus trusted Dumbledore but it wasn't the same as being there himself. At least Harry would have his big sister to keep an eye on him. An even better alternative would be not having to worry about him at all.

Xxxx

Lucius had been wearing Samael Nott down for over a year now. He had to be careful not to scare the man away or make him suspicious. Finally Samael invited Lucius and Narcissa over for dinner. They had a son the same age as Draco named Theodore. The Malfoy family of three apparated to the inexpensive, run down shack the Notts considered a home. Being a Death Eater didn't pay money but took too much time to hold down a real job. The family couldn't afford a grand house like the Malfoys and this one worked just fine. All that mattered to them was having a roof over their head and a place to keep them safe. Narcissa wrinkled her nose at the sight of the exterior of the house. She wasn't looking forward to touching anything inside let alone eating their food. Draco was excited to play with Theodore again. He had seen him a few times but not nearly as much as he had Harry and Dudley. Draco could use friends other than those two.

The six of them sat around the small dining room table. The young boys jabbered away about any topic they could think of. They were nine and had hit the age where they couldn't keep their mouths shut. They paid little attention to their parents. Lucius and Nott discussed the return of the Dark Lord. Their marks seemed to be growing darker everyday. It seemed as though his return would happen anytime. Lucius informed Samael that the majority of the ministry was clueless about the return of Lord Voldemort. The ones that had heard the rumor refused to believe it. Voldemort couldn't have hoped for a better return. The people of Britain were none the wiser, just as he preferred. Narcissa and Samael's wife made small talk. Unlike their husbands they had nothing in common with one another and didn't care for that to change. They hadn't formed the same bond as their kids and husband's had.

Halfway through the meal Lucius excused himself with the illusion he'd been under the weather. In reality he was going to search for the diary while Narcissa kept the others distracted. Lucius made his way to the back of the house where the bathroom and luckily for him, the bedrooms we're located. When he was sure no one was paying attention to him he cast a shield spell. It would help block some of the noise if he happened to make any. He had to be quick or they would realize he wasn't going to the bathroom like he had said. He went to the master bedroom. It was cluttered with objects and it made his task even more difficult. He stepped over the pile of clothes on the floor and made his way to the bookcase where he quickly scanned the contents. He found nothing that resembled the worn leather diary he was looking for. Next he moved to Samael's bedside table and quickly rummaged through it. He was glad everything was such a mess. His presence would be less noticeable. Still he found nothing. He checked the nearby closet with the same result. He was running out of time. He checked the dresser and remaining bedside table before leaving the room in defeat. It wasn't in the bedroom but it had to be somewhere in this house. He had to talk to Severus about learning legilimancy again. Severus had tried to teach him before but it was a skill he just couldn't master no matter how much he practiced. He'd been using occlumency against the Dark Lord during his whole time as a Death Eater but that was a different skill entirely. If he could just ask about the diary it would have saved him a lot of work. With a heavy sigh he undid the shield and returned to the company of his new friends. Narcissa raised an eyebrow when she saw him. He gave a sad shake of the head to indicate it hadn't been found.

When the meal was finished and cleaned up the boys wandered back to Theodore's bedroom to play a game of exploding snap. The four adults moved to the living room. Lucius and Narcissa sat awkwardly on the shabby couch.

"Lucius? Did you hear me?" Nott asked from a nearby chair.

Lucius snapped to attention. "I'm sorry, I was just looking at your bookcase. I noticed a few interesting titles, care if I take a look?"

Nott shook his head "Not at all, help yourself."

Lucius stood and walked to the bookcase. The shelves were bowing from the weight of the books inside. It looked as though it would collapse any minute. He fingered a book called "The Darkest Arts" and flipped through it with fake interest. He continued this way until he reached the book he had been admiring from the couch. It was a short and skinny black leather book. The cracked binding indicated it had been opened too many times to count. He checked over his shoulder and saw that no one was paying attention to him. He slowly slid the book off of the shelf. On the front cover, stamped in gold letters he saw "Tom Marvolo Riddle" This was it. He checked over his shoulder once more to make sure everyone was preoccupied. He tapped the diary with his wand to produce a duplicate. He slid the fake book into the bookcase and the real one into his robes. It wouldn't take long for Nott to discover the fake. Duplicates never came without flaws it just depended on how well Samael knew the original and how often he looked at it.

Lucius made sure the diary was secure in his robes and wouldn't fall out, exposing him. When he was sure it was safe to move again he returned to the couch.

"Well, it's getting late. We should probably head home." Lucius looked at Narcissa intensely, hoping she would get his hint.

"You're right, Draco needs to get up early." Narcissa replied and Lucius sighed in relief.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for any dessert?" Asked Samael from across the room. He was standing near the book case and Lucius was nervous the false book would be discovered.

"Thank you, but we need to be off. Thank you for an enjoyable evening." Lucius stood from the couch and his family followed. Samael Nott opened the door for them and they bid their farewells. They apparated to the Snape house as soon as the door shut behind them. Lucius pounded on the Snape's door.

"What the bloody he-" The door creaked open to reveal Severus. "Oh, it's you, come in." The small, blond family stepped through the threshold. Severus shut the door behind them and peeked through the window to be sure the Malfoys were alone before speaking again. "Well?" He asked impatiently, not entirely pleased to have visitors at nine pm.

Lucius procured the diary from his robes and Severus' demeanor changed instantly. "This is it? You're sure?"

"It's got his name printed on it, doesn't it? What else would it be?"

Severus flipped through the pages. "It's blank, it's all blank. Why would Lord Voldemort consider this important enough for his soul?"

"Maybe so someone would assume it was garbage? I doubt he left his deepest secrets lying around."

"No, it's more than that." He looked at the book carefully. "Something just doesn't seem right." He walked to the kitchen and found a pen. It was much better than dipping a quill in messy ink. As soon as he began putting ink to the paper it started to disappear. "Lucius, look at this." The other man walked over to join him, leaving his family standing awkwardly in the doorway. He watched as Severus wrote "Hello" on the yellowed pages and how the pages seemed to suck the ink inside. Just as Severus was about to write something else the word "Hello" reappeared. Only this time the writing was clean and precise, not the small, spidery text that Severus had written.

"Narcissa." Lucius called. "Take Draco home, I may be awhile." She walked to him and kissed him on the cheek before disapparating. Lily must have heard the pop as she came walking down the stairs.

"Sev? Is someone here?" She called from the stairs.

"Just Lucius." He called back. She continued her walk into the kitchen where his voice had come from. She saw the two men hunched over the table. "What are you two doing?" Severus used his hand to beckon her over and she joined them in watching the conversation unfold.

"My name is Peter Pettigrew." He wrote, he didn't dare write his own name.

"Do you think I'm a fool, Severus?" appeared on the pages. Severus shut the book in fear and looked at Lucius wide eyed. Were they contacting Lord Voldemort himself? Or was this the horcrux at play? How did the diary even know who was holding the pen? If it knew that then what else was it aware of it? "We need to destroy this immediately. Dumbledore and I always go together in case the fire becomes uncontrollable. Seeing as he's not here, would you care to join me?" Lucius agreed and the two men left to destroy the book, leaving a fearful Lily behind.

They arrived at a field that Severus had used before with Dumbledore. He placed the book on the already burnt ground and steeled himself for the whirlwind of memories about to unfold. He cast the spell and watched the diary erupt into flames. The same disfigured skull emerged like always with an ear splitting screech. Severus watched his life replay for the fifth time. It got easier every time he destroyed a horcrux but he couldn't wait to be done with it all. The flames died down and Severus cast an aguamenti spell to ensure the embers wouldn't start another fire. He bent to pick up the book, Dumbledore was keeping all the destroyed horcruxes in his possession. As he straightened back up and prepared to leave he heard Lucius speak. Lucius was standing still almost in a daze, staring at where the diary had been. "You know, I never wanted to be a Death Eater."

Severus stared at him with his eyebrow raised. That certainly wasn't how Lucius had acted in school. "What about all the blood purity stuff?"

Lucius scoffed. "It was engrained in me as a kid. It happened to a lot of us Slytherins actually. Rasicm isn't born, Severus, it's taught. Sure, I eventually agreed with it all but I didn't want to kill someone for being different. Narcissa felt the same way. It's why she supported me but never actually took the mark. But our parents were nuts about it all. My father, Abraxas, was a huge supporter of the Dark Lord. They attended Hogwarts together. He was one of Voldemort's first cronies. He would have disowned me it I hadn't followed in his footsteps. Saying "no" isn't as easy as everyone thinks. I was raised to be a Death Eater from the day I was born. I wasn't destined for anything else. If I ever spoke of other dreams he became furious with me. He wanted me to help rid the world of filthy mudloods like he had. My mum died when I was young. She never got a say in the matter. I joined the Dark Lord in sixth year. Two years later, shortly after I graduated, he died suddenly. He'd led a raid only a few weeks before his death. Somehow the aurors we're tipped off and several Death Eaters were caught because of it. Voldemort had been furious with him. He tortured him for hours before letting him leave. I still think the Dark Lord was behind my father contracting Dragon Pox. It was virtually unheard of during that time and he hadn't visited anywhere that was having an outbreak of it. His death was just too convenient."

"Lucius? Why are you telling me all of this?"

"You and I aren't so different Severus. Sometimes we don't get to choose the type of person we get to be. I've wasted my life serving him and trying to please everyone that I forgot how to take care of myself."

"Lucius, you've changed. We only have one horcrux to find. You have the rest of your life to live when he's gone."

Lucius smiled sadly and looked at Severus for the first time. "If only it was that simple."

Severus left the field that night almost more confused than when he had arrived. He arrived at Hogwarts with the intention of speaking to Dumbledore. He rarely visited unannounced or unplanned and it was a surprise to Dumbledore, especially being so late at night. Severus walked into the office to see Dumbledore wearing his night robes. They were a horrendous combination of magenta and orange stripes with a matching night cap. Severus tried not to stare.

"What did you wish to speak to me about, Severus?"

Severus walked towards the desk. "I apologize for the time." He knew it was past 11 by now. "But I thought this might interest you." Severus pulled the charred diary from his back pocket and placed it on the desk in front of Dumbledore.

Dumbledore smiled. "Lucius finally succeeded, did he?"

"There was something interesting about the diary." Dumbledore gave Severus a look of interest. "The pages were blank but something about it told me there was more to it than that. I tried writing in it using wormtail's name, it…it knew it was me."

Dumbledore frowned "Curious, most curious" he said in a tone barely above a whisper.

"Is this due to it being a horcrux?"

"I believe so. The problem is the horcrux was likely created before you joined Lord Voldemort. It seems to still be connected to him somehow. Unfortunately we won't know how much he knows until it returns. Hopefully this doesn't mean he's become aware of your mission to destroy them." Fear resonated in Severus, it was what he had been afraid of. "I have some good news for you as well." Dumbledore continued. "Sirius Black has been given a trial date."


	62. Chapter 62

Severus shut the door quietly that evening so as not to wake the children. He had returned home late from his meeting with Dumbledore. The world was asleep including his own home. The house was dark when he entered.  _ Lumos _ he muttered and a light sputtered to life at the end of his wand. He quietly walked into the bedroom he shared with Lily. She was fast asleep half under the covers. Her hair was a mess and her mouth was slightly open and drooling. Even then he found her more beautiful than anyone. He undressed and climbed under the covers next to her. His presence woke her slightly and she turned over "You're home late." She mumbled still half asleep.

He put her arm over her and she snuggled up close. "Dumbledore was happy we took care of the diary already. He had some news for us as well. I'll talk to you about it in the morning." She nodded into his chests and fell back asleep. He didn't even know how much she had comprehended. He buried himself in the covers and fell asleep with her. He was up before anyone else the next day. He dressed quickly in a pair of black sweats and a black T-shirt. It was the only color he owned. He grabbed a book from the bookcase to read while he cooked and headed down stairs. It was 8 am, the rest of the family would be waking up soon. Lily had to go work and he had to take the three kids to school before heading off to work himself. His boss hadn't been happy about all his time off recently but he was willing to put up with it in order to have Severus on his team even if it did happen very rarely.

Severus cracked a few eggs in the pan and flipped through his book as they began to cook. He heard the quick footsteps coming down the stairs and could tell by the sound they were Violet's. He closed the book and set it aside as the 8 year old came into the room.

"Hey, Vi. How did you sleep?" he asked as she sat down at the table. She responded with a slight shrug. She'd gotten his personality more than her mother's. She looked just like Lily but acted just like him. Some days he could understand why he made Lily crazy for Violet did the same thing to him. "Where are your brothers?"

"Valerian is in the shower and I think Harry is still asleep."

Severus frowned "Can you watch breakfast for a second? I'll be right back." He took the stairs and pounded on Harry's door. When he didn't receive an answer Severus turned the handle and walked in. "Up! You need to get ready for school."

Harry groaned and sat up in bed putting his glasses on. Severus stared at his son for just a moment. Harry had Lily's eyes, exactly her eyes. No matter how many times he had seen them after all these years it still made him stop and stare for a moment. He heard the bathroom door open in the hallway and it broke him from his thoughts. "Valerian is done in the shower. Get in or you'll be late for school and I'll be late for work." He left the room and paused just outside the door sniffing the air, something was burning. Crap he thought and raced back downstairs. "Vi, I thought you were going to watch these for me?" He took the browning eggs off of the stove.

"I did, you didn't say anything about not letting them burn."

He glared at her "Well enjoy your breakfast then." He set the plate of overcooked eggs on the table along with some toast. He was surprised no one else had come into the kitchen and left to see what was going on.

"Boys! Breakfast!" He shouted up the stairs. He was becoming annoyed, he didn't know how Lily did it on her own all the time. He walked to the master bedroom. "Lils? Planning on spending the whole day in bed?"

"Just five more minutes" She pleaded from underneath the warm blankets.

"You might want to check the time then." He quickly changed into his robes for work which of course were also black. As he finished putting on his shoes Lily finally flipped the covers off herself and dragged herself from bed.

"I remember you saying something last night, something about good news?" She asked with a yawn as she dressed herself.

"Dumbledore has been fighting with the aurors ever since we found out Sirius was Innocent. They didn't want to believe him that Black had been framed. Anyway he's set to go to court next Friday."

Lily flipped around "Friday? That happened fast, that's what? 11 days away?"

Severus shrugged "I guess they just want to be done with it all."

Lily pointed her wand at her hair and face to quickly apply her makeup and do her hair "I'll call Petunia then and see if she'll watch the kids."

"Alright, well breakfast is on the table. You might want to grab some before Harry and Valerian eat it all." He walked from the room and swiped a piece of toast from the kitchen before heading to his potions room to collect some supplies. One benefit of having a room decked out with all his potions equipment was it meant he could work from home most days. Not today however, the hospital was running low on supplies and he needed to be there to fill any requests. He walked back to the front of the house as Lily came from the kitchen with their children in tow. "Everybody ready?" He asked. The five of them filed outside. He gave Lily a quick kiss and she disapparated. He unlocked the VW bus he had inherited from his father and everyone climbed inside. He turned the key in the ignition and drove the short distance to where they went to school. All three of them showed magic at a young age. There was no question they would be attending Hogwarts but until then it was important to Severus and Lily that they had a muggle education. They owned the only car in their neighborhood, they were the only ones who needed one and the only ones to send their children to a muggle school. He was proud to own the car his father had loved so much and it solved the issue of apparating to a building full of muggles to drop his children off.

Almost as soon as he had pulled up to the curb, Harry opened the car door. "Hermionie!" He called with a wave as he jumped out. Violet and Valerian followed after him. After a quick exchange of goodbyes he put the car into gear and drove back home. He deposited the car and apparated to St. Mungo's. He arrived in front of the condemned department store and quickly checked for passersby before stepping through the window and into the hospital waiting room. He took the steps to the third floor and into the potions lab. He found his regular station and unpacked some of the supplies he had brought. He had made alterations to many of the common potions. Some of the ingredients he added weren't carried by the hospital and he had to supply his own. He spent his day chopping ingredients for the twelve different potions he had planned. He had just finished slicing the bicorn horn for a pepperup potion when the door to the lab opened. He looked up at the intruder and smiled when he saw it was Lily. "Here to place an order?" He asked jokingly.

She leaned on the desk across from him and looked in his eyes "Yes, I'd like one lunch date please."

He put the last of the ingredients in the waiting poitons and left them to brew. Hand in hand they left the hospital and found a local muggle restaurant to eat in. Even though they were surrounded by people they felt like the only ones in the whole world. Where they were no one knew anything about them. They didn't know who they were, that they had stopped Lord Voldemort from the reign of terror he had inflicted on the country, they didn't know their son was "the boy who lived". They were just two people in love who looked and acted a little different than everyone else.

"Do you know anything about a Hermionie?" Severus asked as he took a bite of his sandwich.

Lily thought for a moment "No, I don't think so, why?"

"No reason." Severus said with a shrug. "I think it's a friend of Harry's. He called their name when I dropped him off today."

"Sounds like a girl." Lily said.

"Does it?"

She looked at him in disbelief. "Can you honestly picture a boy with that name?"

"No…no, you're right. He did seem awfully excited to see her. Didn't even say goodbye."

"I hope changing to Hogwarts won't be too hard on him."

"Octavia seems to have done fine with it. We did too."

"Severus you were all I had. Of course I was okay with living Cokeworth. Besides you practically forgot everyone existed when we started hanging out."

"That's true. He doesn't really have a choice. He'll make new friends and he can see his old ones during break."

When they were done eating they walked back to the hospital together. Severus checked on his potions to make sure everything was brewing as they should. When he felt satisfied with them he found another potioneer who agreed to watch over them for the rest of the day. He apparated home and changed into muggle clothes. He killed time by walking back to the school instead of driving. He arrived a few minutes early and stood outside waiting. He wasn't the only one with the idea to walk. He noticed another parent close by and groaned when he saw she had noticed him as well. _ I should've just drove _ he thought. The other mom walked up to him. She eyed him suspiciously. Even though he was dressed like a muggle he didn't exactly fit in.

"Which kid is yours?" She asked after a moment.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" He asked rudely.

"Does it matter? I haven't seen you before and now there's a strange man standing outside a children's school, which kid is yours?"

"I have three that go here and an older daughter attending school in Scotland. I've been away for work a lot, my wife usually comes here but she's working late." She looked at him with distrust and he sighed before continuing. "I'm Severus Snape."

"Oh! Your Lily's husband! I pictured her with someone…well different."

He tried to keep himself from glaring. He was sure that wasn't a compliment.

"Did your other daughter go here as well?"

"Octavia? No…we moved around a lot when she was younger and so we home schooled her for the most part."

The other woman nodded. "Why is she in Scotland?"

"She's attending a prestige school. Our other children will go there as well."

"They won't finish here?"

Severus was getting annoyed with the woman's questions. "No. Who are you?"

Before she could answer the bell rang signaling the end of school. Students began flooding out the doors and he kept an eye out for his three. Violet walked out on her own. He couldn't help but notice she looked down and avoid eye contact with everyone. It reminded him of how Lily had been. Valerian came next, surrounded by friends, much like Severus had been at his age. And then there was Harry who came out with just one person, a girl. He couldn't help but wonder if it was Hermionie. When Harry noticed his father he gave the girl a quick goodbye and beelined it to his dad with a red face. "What are you doing here? Where's the car?" He asked incredulously.

"We're walking, deal with it kiddo." They walked in silence for a long time before Harry spoke up again. "When's mum going to be the one taking us to school and picking us up?"

"Soon but expect me to be home a lot more. My job with the headmaster is almost over."

"What do you even do with him?"

"Harry, you know I can't talk about it."

"But, why?"

"It's complicated."

"Does it have to do with me?...with this?" He pointed to the lighting bolt shaped scar on his forehead. When Severus didn't answer he spoke up again. "I see the way you and mum look at me…I know you're scared for me to go to Hogwarts. I deserve to know why."

Severus sighed, the time had come. "You're right. I'll talk to mum about it later."

Harry nodded and adjusted his backpack.

They arrived home and the three kids went to their respective bedrooms to work on homework. Severus sat on the couch enjoying the quiet and attempted to read his book he'd started that morning. Just as he was getting to the good part he was interrupted.

"Dad?" A voice behind him asked nervously.

"Hmm?"

"Can I talk to you?...in private."

Severus shut his book and turned around to look at his son. He saw that the matter was serious and he stood from the couch to follow Harry to his room. Harry shut the door and sat on the bed. Severus could tell he was embarrassed and sat down next to him to make himself seem less intimidating.

"How did you know mum was a witch?"

The question wasn't what he expected. "Well…she had quite the reputation when we were in school. She couldn't contain her temper and people noticed odd things happening when she was around. Her stories never added up. Everyone thought she was a liar but I started paying more attention to her and found that wasn't it at all. The final give away was when she set a snake on someone who was being mean to her." Severus smiled at the memory.

"Did she know she was a witch?"

"No, it was hard to convince her otherwise. Where is all this coming from?"

Harry looked down at his hands like Lily always did when she was embarrassed. "The girl I was with after school today, I think she's a witch too."

"Hermionie?"

Harry blushed and nodded.

"What makes you think that?"

"Like you said with mum, strange things just happen when she's around. Like she always jumps to the right page in the book on the first try, she ripped her bag one day and then a minute later it was fixed. There's just things I can't explain."

Severus was surprised at the news. He couldn't believe the same thing that happened to him as a kid was happening to Harry. "It sounds like she might be. Just keep watching things but don't say anything. You need to be absolutely sure before divulging our entire world to her."

Harry nodded "Okay."

"Harry, does Violet have any friends?"

He shrugged. "Not really. There's one boy that picks on her a bit but nothing serious. She just likes to be alone."

"You're sure that's all it is?"

"Seems so."

"You'll tell me if anything changes?"

Harry nodded "Deal."

Severus heard the door open downstairs and stood up. "I think mum's home. I'll talk to her about what you were saying earlier and let you know." He turned to leave.

"Dad?" Severus turned back to look at his son. "Don't tell mum about Hermionie, okay?"

Severus smiled. "Okay."

"I don't know how you do this everyday. And Harry, what has gotten into him?" Severus asked as he changed his clothes. The kids were already asleep.

"He takes after his father" Lily smirked.

"I was never like that!"

"You always have been, always will be. That's why Petunia didn't like you when we we're kids."

"Well I can't say she was my favorite person either. I seem to recall her saying my family was weird that day at the park."

"She wasn't exactly wrong."

"It's different when you say it. Violet has an attitude too you can thank her for our burnt breakfast this morning."

"I've noticed that too. I'm concerned about her. She doesn't seem to have any friends."

"No, even Harry said so. She's so unlike her brothers. Takes after you in that aspect I guess."

Lily sighed "Unfortunately. At least she'll get a new start at Hogwarts. I don't even know what to think about what house she'll be in, or any of them."

"Speaking of Hogwarts, Harry is catching on. He was asking me today about his scar and what I've been up to with Dumbledore. I told him I'd talk to you about it. He deserves to know, I just don't know what to tell him." Severus sat on the bed.

Lily sat next to him. "We've tried so hard to shield him from his fame but I don't think we can do it much longer. How are we going to tell him? I don't even know if it's something he'll have to worry about. We just need to find that blasted snake."

"I can't find a trace of Voldemort anywhere. I'm running out of places to visit and Lucius doesn't have any-" Severus paused.

"Sev? What is it?"

"I think I have an idea of where he might be. Of course Lucius wouldn't have thought of it. He wouldn't have known."

"Where?"

"Little Hangleton, where Voldemort's parents are from. Dumbledore and I found one of the first horcruxes there."

"I've never heard of it before."

"No, of course not. It's a muggle village near Ottery St. Catchpole. I'll check it out tomorrow. It's worth a try."

"Let's talk to Harry tomorrow too."

Severus woke early the next morning. If the snake was in Little Hangleton like he thought she would likely have a caretaker and Severus would prefer to take them by surprise. He dressed quietly so as not to disturb anyone else in the house and apparated to the small village. He arrived outside the Gaunt shack at four in the morning. He would start there. He cast a disillusionment charm over himself and made the short walk to the main part of town. He followed his usual routine to look for traces of magic but found nothing. It seemed no one of magical descent ever visited this place. He walked the cobblestone streets of the quaint little town looking for any sign that this might be the place. When he found nothing he gave up on the shops and decided to explore some nearby houses. In the near distance he could see a mansion upon a hill. He walked in it's direction to yet again find nothing. He began climbing the hill and stopped suddenly about twenty feet from the house. There it was, that vibration he was looking for. It was strong enough to signal continual magic was being preformed here. He tried not to get excited as he made his way towards the door. The feeling only got stronger as he got closer. He walked around the exterior of the grand house, peeking through any open window of which there were few. When he saw nothing he decided to climb a nearby tree so that he may see into the upper floors. He tried to keep the tree from rustling but it was no use. He couldn't prevent the noise. He could only pray that no one would notice. When he reached one of the upper brances he stopped and peered into the windows he was near. Everything inside the house was motionless. Whatever was here wasn't what he was looking for. He turned to climb back down and continue his search when out of the corner of his eye he saw something, something slither. He stopped and looked towards the window, sure that his mind was playing tricks on him but there it was again. A dark mass was creeping across the floor. Still under his charm he disapparated to the Malfoy residence.

It was still in the very early hours of the morning. The sun had only just come up. Still he pounded frantically on the door. When no one answered he tried again. Finally he saw Narcissa's face peek out from behind a curtain. It was only then that he remembered the charm and quickly removed it. A look of relief crossed her face and she retreated from the window to open the door.

"Severus, come in, quickly." She spoke in a hushed tone, afraid that someone would be watching.

"Is Lucius here?" Severus asked urgently as he stepped over the threshold.

"Yes, of course, let me get him." He stood in the doorway while she walked to the back of the house to find her husband. He was getting impatient when finally a tired Lucius appeared in his view.

"Severus? What is it?"

"I found it, I found the snake."

"Are you sure?" Lucius gasped.

"Well I've just come from a town with strong ties to the Dark Lord. It's a very muggle town, the only building that showed any sign of magic has something living in it. I saw something large slithering across the floor inside. I don't know what else it could be. I came to request back up."

At his last words Lucius grabbed a coat, prepared to leave "Wait, you still look like yourself. If someone is there that can recognize you, you're whole cover is blown." Severus told him

"Go on with it then. Change me."

Severus pointed his wand at Lucius and preformed a few simple spells to change his appearance. When he was done Lucius had short, red hair and a beard. Hopefully it would be enough.

"We'll have to side along apparate. I don't know where I'm going." Lucius told him before he turned to Narcissa and gave her a long embrace. They didn't know how this would end. "I'll be back, I promise." She only nodded, too upset to speak. Lucius grabbed Severus' arm and once again under the disillusionment charm they apparated back to the small town of Little Hangleton. With a pop they arrived in front of the manor. With a deep breath Severus unlocked the front door and they slipped inside.


	63. Chapter 63

Severus pushed the door open gently and the two men creeped inside the house. It looked as though it had been untouched for decades. The style of the home belonged in the forties and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. If this was indeed the house of Lord Voldemort it certainly wasn't a home. The interior was cold and uninviting much like Lord Voldemort himself.

Trails had been made in the dust that revealed the areas of the home that were the most used. The most apparent one lead to the grand staircase near the front door. Severus made his way towards it while hoping that Lucius was right behind him. Since they were both under disillusionment charms they couldn't see each other, especially in the poorly lit home. He took a deep breath and placed a foot on the first step. It let out a loud creak and he stopped in fear. It quickly became apparent that the occupant of the home had heard it. Severus heard the shuffling of feet upstairs make their way towards him. From a doorway at the top of the stairs a face peeked out to look for the intruder. The man's hair was over grown and he was in desperate need of a shave. His clothes we're dishelved and his entire body was covered in some sort of grime. The light was dim and Severus couldn't make out any facial features. He was afraid they had entered the home of a squatter, that all of this had been fruitless. The man reached into his tattered robes and slowly removed a wand, destroying all of Severus' suspicions. The man stood there for a good minute inspecting the home beyond him before apparently deciding it was safe and retreating back into the room.

Severus proceeded up the wood stairs with light footsteps to prevent any more squeaks. The beautiful thing about the first squeaky stair was it had revealed which room the man was in. Severus and Lucius didn't need to search the house to find him. Severus gently pushed on the door so that it opened slowly. He quickly backed away in case of an attack. A moment later he saw a red light shoot out of the doorway and he hoped Lucius hadn't been anywhere near it. He waited for the tension and suspicion to die down before approaching the room again. He waited in silence for the right moment to come and was surprised to hear a loud thud come from the room. He ran inside to find a petrified Peter Pettigrew laying on the wood floor. Muffliato Severus whispered.

"Lucius, where are you?"

He was answered by Lucius revealing himself by removing the disillusionment charm. Severus was thankful he had transformed some of his features. The red haired Lucius approached the rat of a man lying on the floor. Severus lifted his muffliato spell just in time.

"Worthless traitor." Lucius spat at the dirty man in a deep voice that was so unlike his regular one. Severus couldn't help but laugh at the irony. At least Lucius becoming a traitor didn't result in the death of a family. "Robin, let's tie him up and reverse the petrification spell so he can talk." Lucius rasied his wand again.

"No!" Severus shouted, completely forgetting to disguise his own voice. "He's an animagus, ropes won't hold him unless we take his wand."

"What do you suggest then?"

Severus stopped down next to Peter and pried the wand from his hand. "Locomotor mortis." Severus cried with his wand aimed at Pettigrew. He stood and released the petrification charm. Wormtail instantly began to squirm in an attempt to escape. "Now, now, where do you think you're going, Peter?" With a wave of Severus' wand he bound the other man in ropes. "You can't honestly think you have a chance here."

"What do you want?" Squeaked a bound Pettigrew from the dusty floor.

"Why did you do it? Why did you betray James?" He asked incredulously.

"You can't make me tell you anything!"

"Oh, really? Are you THAT naïve?" Severus pulled a small vial from his pocket and stooped down to tip it into Peter's mouth. Peter fought him with all his might but it wasn't enough. Only a couple drops of veritaserum would do the trick. Spitting it out would be useless. "Who am I?" Severus asked

"Sev-er-us S-Sna-pe." Peter said forcefully through gritted teeth. Severus inwardly punished himself for having given away his cover. He should have known better than to use his real voice. He hoped being invisible would have been enough. Seeing as it wasn't, he removed the spell before speaking again. "Are you an animagus?"

"N-n- yes." Pettigrew spat.

Severus was confident the potion was working. "Where is Nagini?"

Peter fought the answer once again. His lips didn't move but his eyes betrayed him as he looked towards the other door in the room. At the movement Lucius dashed to the door and flung it open. "Petrificus Totalus!" He shouted at the python as it prepared to strike. "What now?" Lucius asked. "We can't use fiendfyre on her."

Severus shook his head sadly. "It's not necessary. She only needs to die."

"Are you positive?"

"The object holding the horcrux must be damaged beyond repair. Unfortunately for her, her master was sick enough to place a piece of his soul in a living object. Unless you know of a way to bring her back to life, killing will be enough." When Severus had finished speaking he heard Lucius whisper the killing curse and a pang shot through his heart. He hoped her death hadn't been unnecessary, that she had actually been a horcrux. He turned back to the portly man still bound on the floor and noticed he was struggling against his ropes. The leg locking curse was wearing off and Severus performed it again. "Where is Voldemort?"

"Last I heard he had left Albania. I don't know how or where he's going. He only contacts me when he needs something." Peter had given up trying to lie.

"When's the last time you heard from him?"

"Several months ago."

"What did he need?"

"He was checking on Nagini, making sure I hadn't killed her."

"Well, I guess he'll be disappointed then, won't he?"

Peter looked terrified at the statement but he didn't respond. Severus was sure the veritaserum was wearing off. "Thank you for your time wormtail. Unfortunately for you, this isn't goodbye." He pointed his wand out in front of him and watched as the silver fox burst from it and ran around the room before heading in the direction of Hogwarts. Dumbledore arrived at the house a few minutes later.

"Severus?" The Headmaster called hesitantly through the doorway

"Up here" Severus voice rang out from the top of the stairs. Dumbledore climbed the creaky steps "What's the urgent matter you needed me for?" Albus asked as he reached the top

Severus stepped out of the room and gestured for the headmaster to follow him. "Come see for yourself."

Dumbledore gave Severus a puzzled expression and followed him into the room. Severus watched his face for a reaction. Upon seeing Pettigrew, Dumbledore's eyes flared with an anger Severus had rarely seen. The rest of his face remained stoic. "I must say I am most disappointed in you, Peter. You had great potential during your time at Hogwarts. Instead your actions have ruined the lives of many people, particularly the lives of your friends."

"I don't need your pity or opinion, old man." Peter said venomously. Severus was surprised to hear the pathetic man stand up for himself.

Dumbledore ignored him and continued. "Sirius will be a free man again with or without your help but if you'd like to regain any chance of being a decent human being I suggest you help us."

"You don't know what they did to me, he and James. I was their first victim. They tried spells on me before anyone else to see how they would work. I was their lackey, forced to do all of their dirty work, I-"

"Then why did you remain by their side? They didn't force you to do anything. If you truly hated them enough to have one killed and the other imprisoned for life then why didn't you do anything to try and change how they treated you?"

"It's not that easy." Peter said angrily, fighting the ropes around him.

"Ah, but it's not as difficult as you claim. Doing the right thing is never easy." Dumbledore looked at Peter for a response that never came. "I don't think we should keep the aurors waiting any longer, they'll surely enjoy their surprise. Severus, I'd appreciate it if you could come with us. As for you." He glanced at Lucius. "I think it'd be best to return home so no one can learn your identity." Lucius nodded and with a small wave goodbye he disapparated. "What about the snake?" Dumbledore asked Severus.

"She's in the bathroom if you'd like to see her. We took care of her already." Severus looked in the direction of the snake.

Dumbledore made his way to her body. "Such a shame she had to die for such a selfish cause. For Lord Voldemort to use her for his own gain is sickening." With a shaking hand he removed his knobbed wand from his robes and pointed it at Nagini. "Vipera Evanesca" He said sadly and watched her body disintegrate into ashes. With a sigh he turned back to the other men. "Shall we get going?" Severus nodded and they each took hold of Peter before apparating to the Ministry of Magic.

They arrived in front of the white stone building that concealed the Ministry. The three of them crammed themselves into the red phone booth. Being the closest, Severus punched 62442 Into the keypad and the makeshift lift began descending. A visitors badge for each of them popped out of the coin exchange and they pinned them to their shirts with Dumbledore applying Peter's badge for him. The booth reached the entrance and the accordion door slid open revealing the black stoned building. Dumbledore stepped out first with a hand gripped tightly around Peter's arm. Severus followed after them. They made their way to the main lifts of the ministry and received plenty of looks along the way. Peter was a rather odd looking man and easily recognized because of it. His supposed murder had been highly publicized and he was now well known. They heard the confused whispers about his reappearance as the three men walked passed. They were lucky to get a lift all to themselves. Dumbledore pushed the button for floor number two, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and the lift jerked back. They held on tightly to the grate like doors as they were jostled around. A voice announced their arrival at the second to the top floor and the men once again stepped out.

They walked down the winding hallway until Dumbledore finally found the door he was looking for. He turned the handle and pushed it open, forcing Pettigrew inside. "I believe we have something you'll be interested in." Albus announced as he stepped over the threshold. The receptionist's eyes grew wide at the sight of Peter. She stood from the desk and left to find an Auror to assist them. Mad Eye Moody followed her back to the front of the room. "What do you have for me this time-" Alastor stopped in his tracks. "How…" He began before turning back to the receptionist. "Paige, I think we'll be needing an interrogation room right away."

"Of course, Sir, number two is available."

Moody gestured for his visitors to follow him into the room before shutting and locking the door behind him. He conjured two more chairs before chaining Peter to the desk and they each took a seat. "I'm going to need some kind of explanation as to what's going on here."

"Do you remember the incident involving Sirius Black?" Dumbledore asked from his chair.

"Of course I bloody remember!"

"This." Dumbledore gestured to Peter with an open hand. "Is the real culprit. He framed Black."

"No, it's not possible, all they found of him was-"

"His finger? Yes, and if you'll notice, he is missing one."

"Alright, but how do I know that's really what happened? How do we know Peter wasn't trying to escape?"

"If you had ever given Sirius a trial to begin with we could have provided witnesses then. Now you'll have to track them down."

"The only witnesses were muggles!"

"Yes, and they've been used in court before. There is no reason not to use them now."

"What if you're wrong, Albus?"

"What if you are? Are you okay with keeping an innocent man in prison?"

"Fine." Moody grumbled. "We'll start our investigation."

"You can't release him." Severus began from the other side of Moody. "He's an unregistered animagus that will no doubt go into hiding. So unless you want to talk to every rat in Britain you better find somewhere for him to go." Both Dumbledore and Alastor were surprised by this revelation. "It'll also interest you to know that he's a Death Eater and has been assisting Lord Voldemort in his return." Severus continued.

"How?" Moody asked curiously. He was one of the few officials who believed the rumor regarding Lord Voldemort.

"It'd be better to discuss it in private. I don't think even Peter was truly aware of how he was helping."

"We're sending a few people to Azkaban tonight. We'll make sure he goes as well. I'd like to speak to the both of you about this more but first I need to get him registered and changed. I'm assuming one of you has his wand?" Severus removed the wand from the interior of his robes and handed it to the auror. Moody excused himself and dragged Peter along with him.

Peter had remained quiet during the whole exchange. He knew he didn't have a chance I'm changing his fate. Arguing would only make things worse. The only hope he had would be escaping from Azkaban as he had no way to avoid going there. He was shoved in a holding cell and tossed a set of striped clothes. He was forced to change and all his possessions were taken from him. If he could find comfort in anything it would be the fact that the Dark Lord couldn't kill him if he was in prison.


	64. Chapter 64

Severus and Lily arrived hand in hand in front of the visitors entrance for the Ministry of Magic. They stepped in and enjoyed the close quarters the phone booth provided as they descended to the Atrium. Upon arrival the phone booth door folded open to reveal the spectacular reception area. Severus had been here more times than he would like with his being arrested and having to associate with other criminals. However all of this was brand new to Lily. She marveled at the polished interior which was covered with dark, almost pitch black wood. The ceiling was a brilliant color blue and decorated with gold symbols that seemed to change. She followed Severus to the reception desk where they were to have their wands registered but if he spoke to her she didn't hear a word he said. She looked down the long hallway of fireplaces and watched as witches and wizards stepped in and out of them. The floo network was another thing she had heard of but hadn't exactly experienced.

"Ma'am, Your wand, please." The cold voice broke her from her thoughts. Lily could tell by the tone in the other woman's voice that she had asked the question more than once already. Lily let the wand fall from her sleeve and handed it over to the severe looking woman sitting behind the desk. Lily continued to exam the grand room. It was full of so many details she didn't know what to look at first. Severus placed his hand lightly on the small of her back to guide her towards the lifts. When she didn't move he applied a little pressure and she stepped forward "You could at least close your mouth, you're going to catch flies that way." He whispered into her ear.

Lily blushed and shut her mouth like he had said. She was a witch, she fit in here and she should act like it. Severus spoke again "Pay attention, don't forgot why we're here."

"I would never!"

"Really? So if I left you to stare at the ceiling you would have noticed I was gone?"

"Maybe n-not at first…but I would have eventually."

They stepped into the gold lift and she closed the metal grate door behind her. She had been about to say more when Severus pushed the button for their designated floor and the lift shot backwards, making her lose her balance.

"If it happens again I'll the sure to tell Sirius you were too distracted to come."

She smacked his shoulder playfully "Stop it, you know I'm here for him and nothing else."

He smiled back at her. He found it funny that after all these years as a witch she was still easily impressed.

The lift dropped down suddenly, leaving them airborne for a moment before a voice came through the speaker "Level Nine, Department of Mysteries."

Severus bolted out of the door, worried they might be late. He dragged Lily along behind him. "I thought it was on level ten?" she asked confused.

"It is, the lift doesn't go that far. The stairs are this way."

"Talk about wheelchair accessible." Lily mumbled under her breath.

Severus opened a door made of the same dark wood and ushered her in. She slipped past him and took the stairs two at a time with him close behind. They opened another door and we're led into yet another hallway.

"Dumbledore said it would be court room number three. It's the biggest, it'll hold more press." The two of them walked down the hall and pulled open the door that was laden with a large number three. The second the door was opened they could hear the low buzz of chatter from different conversations merging together. Severus was relieved, it meant they were on time. With as long as it had taken them to get out of the house that morning he was honestly surprised.

They found two available seats in the visitors section and took them. In front of the visitor's area was a large, empty area with a metal cage fixed in the center, where Sirius would stand. Behind that Severus could see rows and rows of deep purple, the Wizengamot. Albus Dumbledore was too close to this case to serve as Chief Warlock. After all, Dumbledore was the reason Sirius was getting this trial. In the seat reserved for Chief Warlock sat Millicent Bagnold, the Minister of Magic. She had dark, tan skin and short, black hair. She was one of the youngest people to ever become Minister and although she was only in her 30s, time had aged her. Unlike everyone else, she wore dark black robes and around her neck hung a chain to hold her glasses.

When it seemed that everyone had arrived the Minister placed her glasses on the end of her nose and banged her gavel. The buzz in the room quieted as all attention was on her. "We are here today to discuss the sentence of one Sirius Black who has been accused of being a Death Eater and murdering multiple muggles, witches, and wizards. It has been brought to my attention that he was unable to receive a trial before sentencing." She smacked her gavel again. "Bring him in."

Everyone shifted to look at the cage and the man who was about to occupy it. As the floor beneath the cage rose a stooped figure gradually came into view. He was so unlike the Sirius they had known at school. He was grotesquely thin and his skin had become waxy. He still had his long wavy hair but now it was much longer than it had ever been before and was more of a knotted mess than anything. His teeth were yellowed and his eyes carried a crazed look that hadn't been there before. It was what 8 years of living in Azkaban would do to a person.

Murmurs filled the room as he appeared. It was no surprise to see him in such a condition, knowing where he just came from but that didn't change the shock value.

The Minister began. "Mr. Black, could you give us the details of what happened the night the Potter family was murdered?"

Sirius shuddered at her words, still wounded by his best friend's premature death. "I-I was at home. James and I, w-we talked about taking Harrison trick or treating that night, it was Halloween after all, but Catherine forbid it. She said it wasn't worth the risk. I went out to a couple of bars by myself instead and headed home for the night."

"We're you ever given the location of the Potter's whereabouts?"

"Yes- I mean no- I mean…well James grew up in Godric's Hollow. The Potter's moved into that house after getting married. I knew the location of the house, I used to visit all the time after they moved in. When Professor Dumbledore said they needed a secret keeper, James and Catherine wanted to ask me but I turned it down. James and I were best mates, I thought it would be too obvious and they should pick someone else. Shortly before they were mu-murdered they had made Peter Pettigrew secret keeper. I hadn't visited them since then. I knew where they lived but having not been included in the Fidelius Charm I couldn't have done anything about it."

"Is anyone else aware that this Peter Pettigrew was chosen over you? Is there anyone who can vouch for you?"

Sirius hung his head in defeat "No, Madam, there isn't."

"Then how can we prove it wasn't you?"

Sirius scrambled to pull up the sleeve on his left arm. His body was covered in tattoos but his left lower arm had intentionally been left blank. "See? I-I've never carried the mark."

Severus watched as a long haired man in front of them stood, Dumbledore. "Millicent, please allow me to divulge how it happened." The Minister's face hardened at the use of her first name but she allowed the Headmaster to step forward anyway. He stood next to the cage containing Sirius like an animal and stared up at the purple mass of people before him. "Millicent, are you aware of how the Fidelius Charm works?"

She was silent for a moment, thinking how to best answer the question. "My knowledge of the charm doesn't change what did or did not happen that night."

"Ah, but it does. You see, when this charm is cast someone is chosen to be a secret keeper. That person, and only that person can then choose who tell the secret to. If someone, like Sirius here, isn't given the secret then to them it appears to not exist at all. If Sirius wasn't given the secret like he claims, he wouldn't have been able to see or even picture the Potter's house in. He could stand right in front of it and see nothing but the two houses next to it. He wouldn't be able to enter the house or see any of the occupants unless Peter Pettigrew had divulged it to him."

"Where is the evidence that Mr. Black was never given the secret?"

"I was hoping you'd ask." Dumbledore said with a quizzical smile filling his face. "I'd like to introduce someone to you." Dumbledore conjured a wooden chair equipped with handcuffs and chains and placed it next to Sirius. From his pocket he withdrew a petrified rat and placed it in the chair before them. With Dumbledore's knotted wand pointed at the rat he performed a wordless spell and the animal began to change. The rat grew in size while it's fur seemed to grow shorter until it disappeared completely. With another silent spell clothes appeared on the soon to be indecent man. The chains bound the man's leg to the chair and the handcuffs closed around his wrists. Dumbledore stepped aside to reveal the figure he had placed in the chair. Immediately the occupants in the room took a collective inhale as Peter Pettigrew was revealed.

Something in Sirius snapped. He yanked on the bars of his prison trying to get out and get to the man that had framed him. The man that had sent him to Azkaban. He screamed incomprehensible words at Peter as he lapsed in and out of sanity. The crowd watching the events unfold shouted angry rhetoric. Something clearly was a miss. The Minister banged her gavel repeatedly to no avail and finally resorted to pointing her wand at her voicebox and using the sonorus spell "QUIET!" Her voice reverberated around the chamber and the voices stopped. A member of the Wizengamot stood from his chair and walked towards Pettigrew. He looked him up and down and peered at the sniveling man. Even in human form he looked like a rat. The man withdrew his wand and pointed it at the rat of a man sitting in front of him. "Revelio" He said incredulously. Nothing happened, proving that the man Dumbledore had brought was truly Peter Pettigrew.

"Explain" The Minister narrowed her eyes at Dumbledore who smiled in return. He pulled up the sleeve on Peter's left arm revealing the snake entwined skull. "You see, as Sirius said, the Potters thought Sirius would be too obvious a choice and they didn't want to risk his life for their safety. Instead they chose Peter Pettigrew not knowing he had joined the Dark Lord. Shortly after Pettigrew was made secret keeper he gave the location to Lord Voldemort. After his downfall, Sirius confronted Peter here for being a traitor. In return Peter set off an explosion killing 13 people before cutting off his own finger and transforming into a rat. The Aurors came before Sirius could escape and he was captured and brought immediately to Azkaban. All that was found of Pettigrew at the scene was his finger. The Aurors, believing that Sirius was the murderer and not even bothering to check for other suspects, erased the memories of the only witnesses of the attack, muggles. We have known for quite some time that Sirius was an innocent man but without Peter we couldn't prove it. Two of my order members found him last week tending to the property and belongings of Lord Voldemort."

"Do not speak his name. Why would he who must not be named need someone to look after his things? Are you falling prey to rumors again, Albus?"

Dumbledore stepped towards the Minister and spoke in a voice only she could hear. "The whisperings of the Death Eaters are more than true. Lord Voldemort-" The Minister grimaced but Dumbledore continued speaking. "Has put protections in place to ensure that he can't be killed. My associates and I have been working to tear the protections down. We believe we've found them all but there is no way to be sure. We can only hope that Lord Voldemort is truly gone this time." Dumbledore stepped back to where he had been standing previously and resumed his normal talking voice. "I implore you to see reason and set this man free. He has been on the side of the light since he was a young boy. He doesn't follow in the foot steps of his family as many of you may choose to believe. He has fought valiantly to bring Lord Voldemort down and this is how you pay him in return? Eight years in prison is more than enough for a crime he never committed. He is a valuable member of society and he will continue to make sure others are kept safe."

Sirius was now sitting on the floor of his cage. He was too weak to stand after living like this for so many years. His eyes were wet from Dumbledore's words. Internally he pleaded that he would never have to return to that godforsaken place. From where he sat he could see Peter, the man who used to be his friend, the man who had doomed them all and severed that same friendship. His eyes were full of fear and he kept silent except for the occasional squeaks at Dumbledore's out bursts. Peter was a coward, he'd always been a coward. It was about time he got what he deserved.

The Minister spoke up once again. "Professor, you have given us valuable information but have little proof to back it up. Why shouldn't we keep both men in Azkaban?"

Sirius' heart sank at her words. He was ready to be a free man again. He'd rather die than go back to that hell.

The low rumble of Dumbledore's voice filled the room again. "Use veritaserum, take their memories, I can even offer you the memories of one of my associates who has been deeply involved in this case. Take whatever you need to make things right."

"Professor, you know those things don't hold up in court. Veritaserum can be fought, memories can be altered."

"Each man you take information from will have had to alter their memories in the same way. Each man will have to fight the Veritaserum. They can either lie and have their words not match their memories or they can tell the truth and let the puzzle fall together. All I can ask is that you try.

With a heavy sigh she agreed. "Very well, I suppose you've brought those things with you?"

"You know I always come prepared." Dumbledore withdrew a small bottle from his robes along with his pensieve. "Severus?" He turned and called out to the crowd. "Care to join me?"

With a small nod Severus stood and walked to where Dumbledore was standing amidst the dozens of eyes staring at him. Severus closed his eyes and placed the tip of his wand to his temple. He removed silvery strand after silvery strand and placed them in the pensieve in front of him. The Minister and several select members of the Wizengamot took turns placing their face in the liquid surface of the pensieve and watching his memories. They saw the conversation he had had with Selwyn where Severus and Dumbledore had learned who the real spy in the order had been, they saw Severus and a disguised Lucius arrive at the house in Little Hangleton and confront Peter, last but not least, they saw Severus' memories of being a Death Eater, of the shadowed portly man meeting with Lord Voldemort. When everyone had seen the three memories he placed them back in his own mind. It was Dumbledore who came next. He showed memories that were similar to Severus', of them learning the identity of the spy, of the capture of Peter Pettigrew, and of Severus telling him about the strange overweight Death Eater.

Sirius was next, he willingly gave up every memory he could think of that might set him free. When the pensieve was full to the brim it once again made rounds around the room. Those that saw the memories were noticeably upset afterwards. They relieved the terror that had been Lord Voldemort's reign and that Halloween night when so many people were killed. Sirius had provided a lot more memories than the two men before him and it took much longer for everyone to see the memories he had provided. The last person to give up memories was Peter. He fought to keep them to himself. He knew the memories would surely incriminate him but he was no much for Severus and Dumbledore. Severus performed legilimancy on the chained man to bring the memories to the surface and Dumbledore removed them. They passed the pensieve around one last time. These last few memories validated all the previous ones and Peter was terrified for his own well being. When the last person removed their face from the Pensieve the Minister spoke up again. "I believe we've seen enough. The truth serum won't be necessary." She said astonished. "Those of you who saw the pensieve, I would like you to follow me into the back room so that we may discuss what actions to take." She stood from her seat and four members of the Wizengamot followed after her. Severus returned to his seat next to Lily. The room was too quiet while they were gone. Everyone waited in anticipation and their previous conversations remained forgotten. Peter struggled against his chains with the childish hope he could escape.

It didn't take long for them to decide the fate of the two men. When the five people returned Peter grew even more frantic in trying to escape and was petrified by the Minister as a result. She took her seat and cleared her throat in preparation. "Based on our findings today we believe Mr. Peter Pettigrew should serve a life sentence in Azkaban, all in favor?" Nearly every member of the Wizengamot raised their hand in support. "Very well. Mr. Peter Pettigrew will be taken to Azkaban with the rest of tonight's shipment. We can't risk releasing him and have him turn into a rat. He will also need to register as an animagus. As for Mr. Sirius Black, based on our findings today we believe he should be released from Azkaban and receive a sum of money in return. All in favor?" Sirius watched anxiously as hand among hand was raised. The same people who didn't vote for Peter didn't vote for Sirius but over all the majority of the Wizengamot voted that he be released. Sirius let out a wail of overwhelming joy. He was free, he was finally free!

The Minister banged her gavel once more, dismissing the room. The excited buzz of conversation started up again as people stood from their chairs and prepared to leave. From the back of the room came flashes of light, signaling the photographers trying to capture this momentous occasion. Severus and Lily remained in their seats, waiting for everyone to leave. From the other side of the room they saw a man pushing through the crowd of people trying to make his way to the front where Sirius was still being held. It was Remus. He had spent so many years alone after the Marauders were torn apart. He'd believed James and Peter to be dead at the hands of Sirius and now the truth had finally been revealed. James was gone, no one could ever fix that, Peter was to be sent off to Azkaban to pay for his crimes, and Sirius was exonerated, free to do as he pleased for the first time in 8 years.

When the room was almost empty Severus and Lily also made their way to the front. Remus had been talking to Sirius through the bars and as Severus and Lily got closer the conversation between the two men reached their ears.

"…more than enough space, you can get back on your feet and start life over again…" An excited Remus chattered away, barely letting the exhausted Sirius get a word in edgewise although he didn't really try.

The door to the courtroom was closed as the last visitor left and the attending auror stepped forward to unlock Sirius' small prison. The door swung open and Sirius tentatively stepped out, his first steps as a free man. He thanked everyone profusely for their help in his freedom but he lingered on Severus. He gave Severus a tight hug and Severus went rigid in his arms but didn't push away. The underused voice of Sirius broke the silence. "I know we weren't exactly friends, mate, but thank you. Thank you for all you've done, thank you for bringing Peter to justice."

Severus tried to hide the blush creeping up his cheeks, unsure what to say. "You-you're welcome." He patted Sirius on the shoulder and the hug was released. Severus looked down at the dust Sirius had left on his clothes. "Sorry about that, mate." Sirius said sheepishly. "The first thing I'm doing as a free man is taking a proper shower and getting rid of these rags."

"They should be here any minute with your belongings. We'll head straight home after." Remus said with a large grin on his face.

Severus and Lily bid their goodbyes and made their way back through the maze of the ministry. The awe factor had worn off for Lily who wasn't nearly as impressed as before. After the events of the last few hours the building couldn't compare to what she had just witnessed. She and Severus climbed once again into the small visitor's entrance and rode the small lift. They exited the bright red phone booth and disapparated back to their own home and their own life.

I'm so sorry that updates seem to becoming later and later. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me. I was out of town for a bit and had major surgery this week which has made things hard. We're nearing the end of this story but I have several other ideas in mind.


	65. Chapter 65

Sirius was free, Peter was in jail, and all the horcruxes we're destroyed. Octavia was in her third year of Hogwarts and loving every minute of it. Harry would be going in two years and Violet and Valerian would go the year after that. It was hard not to get comfortable in their life when everything felt so right. The looming danger of Lord Voldemort was gone. They prayed they had truly found all the horcruxes and that he would never return but there was nothing to do except wait.

Selwyn had been the first Death Eater other than Severus to have his mark removed and had spread the news. They carefully avoided telling devout followers such as Bellatrix Lestrange, the Lestrange brothers, and Samael Nott. They still touted that their Dark Lord would return and if they were right it would be dangerous for Lord Voldemort to discover he was losing followers. Selwyn introduced Severus to many of the Death Eaters. Severus recognized nearly every single one of them. Although he hadn't met them all personally he had seen them on the few missions he attended and others he had attended school with. It amazed Severus everyday how many Death Eaters had regretted their decision. Of course, none of them knew about the horcruxes or that Lord Voldemort had ever had them. They could be using Severus for entirely cosmetic reasons, believing their Lord to be truly gone. Severus wasn't going to tell them they could be wrong. It was foolish. This plan was about deconstructing Lord Voldemort if by chance the insane Bellatrix was right about his return. Severus didn't care if he removed marks from followers who still supported Lord Voldemort, they wouldn't be able to do so anymore if he had any say in the matter.

It was time for Harry to follow in his dad's footsteps. He had watched Hermionie for some time like his father told him to and was convinced she was magical. If he was wrong maybe his mum who was rather skilled in memory charms would make Hermionie forget all of it. He was nervous to bring Hermionie home with him for the first time. They'd ended up being great friends at school but it had never gone past that. She hadn't been to his house and he hadn't been to hers. It didn't help that his parents were rather unusual people, particularly his father. The night before Harry brought Hermionie over he begged his parents to wear muggle clothes, to make themselves seem more normal to Hermionie. It wasn't something either of his parents were opposed to, they wore muggle clothing quite a bit but Harry knew that would be the one day they wouldn't.

He waited outside the red brick school for Hermionie. She was going to meet him here after their final class like they had promised and the two of them would walk to short distance to the Snape household. Hermionie wasn't hard to spot with her bushy brown hair. She stood out in nearly every crowd of people because of it. It wasn't long before Harry saw her coming and he stood from the metal bench he had been waiting on. He slung his backpack over his shoulders as she grew nearer. He smiled at her insecurely and she smiled back the same way. As they walked away from the crowd of students going home Harry began to prepare her for his home.

"Hermionie... I want to warn you that my family is a bit…different. Try not to let their weirdness get to you."

"Harry I'm sure they're fine." She beamed at him. Harry scoffed, she'd learn soon enough. "What did you have planned for today anyway?"

"You'll see when we get there." He replied mischievously.

"Do you think we'll have time to work on our school work? Miss. Applebottom wants us too…"

Harry groaned, she was too bookish for his taste and he honestly didn't care what Miss Applebottom wanted them to do or not do. He would have liked to not talk about school for once. Instead he kept his thoughts to himself, interjecting appropriate responses without really paying attention. It was what he always did and she never seemed to notice, or care. Either was fine for him as long as she was happy.

Harry saw the beginnings of his neighborhood and the roof of his home as they grew nearer. Upon turning into the cul-de-sac Hermionie stopped talking about the latest book she was reading. "Harry…this is quite the neighborhood. Why do all of these houses look so…so different?" She scrunched up her nose and Harry swallowed hard.

"It'll all make sense in a minute, I promise." They turned to walk up his driveway and upon reaching the door he put the key in the lock and opened it. He didn't have the privilege of just using alohomora, not yet. He found his parents sitting on the living room couch watching some show he didn't care about. He was ecstatic to see that they had listened to his pleas and dressed in jeans and a regular shirt. Hermionie looked around his house curiously at all the unusual objects she'd never seen before.

"Hermionie, this is my mum, Lily and my dad, Severus."

She held out her hand. "Pleased to meet you." She said with a friendly smile. They shook her small, 9 year old hand and invited her to sit on the opposite couch. Harry sat next to her. They sat in silence for some time. Harry was unsure how to start the conversation. He couldn't take the eyes of his father boring into him any longer and spoke up nervously.

"Hermionie, there's another reason I invited you over today. We've been friends for awhile and I've noticed some unusual things about you. No! No! Not in a bad way!" He added at the look on her face. He looked to his parents for help and Lily joined in.

"Hermionie? Can I show you something? I think it'll help you understand what he means." She took her wand out and Hermionie looked at the strange stick confused. " _ Avis _ " Lily said drawing a bird in the air with her wand. A blue stream of shivering light come out of the tip and small yellow birds appeared.

Hermionie stared at them amazed, even reaching out to touch one. "I don't understand." She stammered with a shake of her head.

"Hermionie, we're a family of witches and wizards and Harry here thinks you might be one too." Severus stated.

"That's- that's not possible. Magic doesn't exist."

"That's what we want non magical people to believe. Our world would be under threat if everyone knew. I need you to promise us not to tell anyone."

Hermionie nodded, agreeing she wouldn't say a word. "Can I see another one?" She asked Curiously. It was Severus who removed his wand this time. He choose to conjure a chair. Hermionie watched, amazed once again at what she was seeing. "What does this all mean?"

"Did you know Harry's older sister, Octavia?" Lily asked.

Hermionie nodded. "A little bit, doesn't she go to a boarding school now?"

"She does, a magical one. In two years when Harry turns 11 he'll go there as well and so should you."

"You mean I'll learn how to do all of this?"

"In time, yes, and then some."

Hermionie turned to Harry for the first time. "What makes you think I'm a witch?"

"I've seen you do so many things that can't be explained any other way. Like you remember that dead rose on Miss Applebottom's desk? Normal people can't just revive them. I've seen how when you drop things they seem to fly back into your hands. I've just noticed small signs over time."

"You really think it's true then? That I'm a witch?"

Severus answered her. "Seeing as our magical government hasn't shown up to scold us for doing magic in front of you, yes I'd say so."

"Dad, would you mind showing her your potions room? She's a bit of a knowledge freak."

"Potions?" Hermionie asked with a frown.

"Magic is much more than wand work. Follow me."

She followed Severus up the stairs to a doorway. As he pushed the heavy wood door open she could hear the sound of bubbling potions and the intermingling smell of their ingredients. He led her inside and she stared at the multiple cauldrons brewing away on his desk.

"What are they for?" She asked.

"Mostly supplies for the hospital where I work. That one" He pointed to a boiling pink potion. "Is called amortentia, a love potion. It smells different for each person depending on who you love. For example, when I sniff it I can smell scents that remind me of my wife."

She stepped forward and tried to sniff it herself. "I don't smell anything." She said disappointed.

"That's not surprising. You are young, you likely won't smell anything for several more years."

He continued to explain the remaining potions and what they were for. She soaked up all the information and asked him question after question. She looked in his store boxes at the different ingredients that would be used for a variety of things. She poured over the bookcase in the corner, reading the covers "What's Magic Moste Evile?" She asked curiously.

Severus hesitated, unsure how to explain it to a child. "It's a rather rare book about extremely dark magic. It's for…work. I needed a certain text in it."

"Can I see it?"

"I'm sorry, but no. It is full of dangerous magic that is best viewed by as few eyes as possible."

When Hermionie was down exploring they returned downstairs and Severus locked the room with his wand. No one was allowed in there without him other than Lily and he preferred to keep it that way. Hermionie stayed late into the evening asking question after question to learn as much about magic and Hogwarts as she possibly could. It was only when Severus and Lily insisted it was getting late and she needed to go home that she left.

Her and Lily stepped into the car they would be taking to the Granger house. "I was a lot like you, you know. My parents weren't magical, or so I thought, I didn't know anything about the wizarding world until I met Severus as a child. He introduced me to all of it just like Harry has done for you. It's not easy coming from a nonmagical family. You'll learn that as you get older. For now just enjoy the information. If you're alright with it I can speak to your parents about the situation. It'll be much easier for me to explain this to them and show them some spells like we showed you."

"I would like that."

The car pulled into the Granger's driveway. Lily jotted down a phone number on a piece of paper. They were likely the only wizards in the neighborhood who owned a phone or even knew what it was. "Here, have your parents call me and we can set up a time to talk to them."

Hermionie beamed up at her. "I will. Thank you so much for everything today."

Lily smiled back. "You're welcome, goodnight."

Hermionie opened the car door and hopped out. "Goodnight." She replied before shutting the door with a slam. Lily watched to make sure she made it inside before turning around and heading back to her own home.

The next day the Snapes received a concerned and almost angry call from the Grangers. Seeing as magic wasn't real to them they didn't appreciate Hermionie's head to be filled with lies. Lily had to beg for them to let her explain and very nearly didn't get the chance. They finally agreed on meeting that night but Stacey, Hermionie's mum insisted that the kids weren't dragged into the matter. This required a call to Petunia to enlist her as their babysitter again. Harry was overjoyed to spend more time with his cousin. They had been seeing each other less frequently and both boys missed it.

At six o clock that night Severus and Lily drove to the house of Paul and Stacey Granger with a bottle of wine as a peace offering. Both of them were nervous about the meeting. They would have preferred to tell the Grangers but fate didn't end that way. Severus parked the car and they walked to the front door hand in hand. With a gentle rap on the blue, wood door they announced their arrival. It opened to reveal a rather disgruntled looking Paul.

"Mr. And Mrs. Snape, come in." He said in not an entirely warm voice. The couple stepped over the threshold and we're invited to take a seat. Lily spoke first. "First of all, it's nice to meet the two of you, and I'm sorry if you believe your daughter is telling stories. We are here to set things right."

"She came home last night talking about some imaginary place called Hogwarts. She told us of the potions being brewed at your home and that the two of you 'conjured' a chair and birds with your 'wands'" Stacey replied.

Lily glanced at her husband before speaking again. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way but she isn't wrong. Severus? Would you like to show them?" With a quiet nod Severus stood from the chair and withdrew his wand from an interior pocket of his muggle jacket. "This is the wand your daughter mentioned,  _ Avis _ " Once again a trail of blue light burst from his wand and small yellow birds fluttered out of it and around the room. Paul rubbed his eyes, not believing what he was seeing while Stacey just stared. Severus cast another spell and a deep red armchair appeared in the center of their living room. "Go on, take a seat, try it out."

Paul hesitantly stepped towards the chair and eased himself into it, not sure what to expect. When he landed on a solid piece of furniture he seemed to relax a bit. "It's true…it's really true…" He said to himself more than anyone else.

"I don't understand…you believe Hermionie to be…like you?"

"A witch, yes." Lily said. "Our son, Harry who is in the same grade as Hermionie is also a wizard. He's been noticing little things that Hermionie does that point to her being magical. He said she's revived dead plants, caused a hole in her backpack to disappear, always opens her book to the right page on her first try, things that can't be explained in any other way. He wanted to tell her what she was and we supported it. Severus here did the same to me. We met as young children and he was the one who told me I was magical."

"What about the potions she mentioned and, and Hogwarts?"

Severus answered this time. "I'm a potions master. I do a bit of it research with it as well as supply our hospital. My wife here is a healer and very proficient in potions herself. She usually helps with these things. Yesterday I had a variety of potions brewing in my office and used the opportunity to show her. They are just as real as every other part of our world. Hogwarts is a boarding school for magical children where they learn about magic and how to use it. Both of us attended it and all four of our children have shown magical signs. They will all attend as well when they're of age. If you two choose to do so, so will Hermionie."

Paul and Stacey looked at each other bewildered. It was all so much to take in. "Does this mean we're magical too?" Stacey asked with a hint of Hope in her voice.

"Unfortunately I don't think so. You would have been contacted to attend a wizarding school if you were. Not everyone is born with magical abilities. Hermionie's power will have come from having a witch or wizard somewhere in your family line. When magical families marry into non magical families it is possible for it to skip generations. Lily is the only witch in her family, her mum and sister possess no powers. Her father did but not enough to preform magic."

"I can't believe we didn't trust our own daughter." Stacey said. "Hermionie never lies…I'm sorry we were angry with you. We just didn't want her getting her hopes up about something we didn't think existed until now. What do we do now?"

"Nothing yet. Hogwarts begins at age 11. When the time comes the headmaster will visit and explain everything. Until then there's nothing to do. If you ever have any questions please feel free to contact us."

With an agreement from the Grangers the Snapes bid goodbye and returned to their own home, to their own children.

From then on Hermionie was at their house almost every single day. She had a never ending stream of questions for them and it reminded Lily of herself and how she had done the same thing to Severus. She couldn't help but think how Harry's future might turn out, if it would end the same way as hers had. It helped push away that constant worry that he might not even have a future. Lily couldn't wait to see the light at the end of that tunnel.


	66. Chapter 66

Harry beamed as he got into the car next to Hermione. He'd heard about Hogwarts since he was a baby. It was all his parents and older sister talked about. He'd been dying to go for as long as he could remember. Just over a month ago, on his 11th birthday he had received he's letter. Harry had stared at the yellowing parchment that bore his name in glittering green ink. His time had finally come. Hermione had received hers as well although her letter was delivered by the Headmaster himself as it usually was with muggleborns.

Now here they we're. Harry watched out the window as his dad pulled from the driveway. The car rumbled on the pavement and Harry watched his home grow smaller and smaller as they drove towards what would be his new one. From here on out he would spend more time at Hogwarts than with his family. That was the one part he wasn't looking forward to but at least he had Hermione and she had him. He would be the stability in her new world where everything was different.

She was staring nervously at the floor and Harry watched her fidget. She'd always been a perfectionist and learning she was a witch had only increased that trait. She was afraid she wouldn't fit in or that she'd get on trouble and be expelled. The thought made Harry laugh. There wasn't a rebellious bone in her body. She'd do just fine. Harry couldn't understand why anyone would hate her.

They pulled into the parking lot of Kings Cross Station. Their car was more like a bus. Although it looked like a regular automobile from the outside it had been magically extended on the inside and had fit nine of them comfortably with room to spare. They clamored out of the car. It was Harry, Octavia, Valerian, Violet, their parents, Hermione, and her parents. Out of all of them only three would be going to Hogwarts this year. Octavia would be in her fifth year and was nearly the same age as her mum had been at the time of her death. It would of course be the first year for Harry and Hermione.

Severus rounded up a few spare carts that had been scattered around the parking lot. With an unnoticeable flick of his wand the carts moved towards the car of their own volition. The three Trunks were loaded up. Harry carefully placed the small cage containing his beautiful snowy white owl on top of his trunk and the large group began their walk towards the building.

They made their way inside and headed for platforms nine and ten. They stopped in front of an unremarkable stone pillar. This would be the first time many of them stepped through to platform 9 3/4.

"Ava, why don't you go first?" Lily asked.

The stoic teen answered with just a nod of her head. She took after her father in so many ways. Pushing her cart she trudged forward until the cart was resting against the cold stone. She looked from side to side before discreetly leaning into the pillar and slipping on to the other side. Hermione grinned eagerly at the sight for the first time that day while behind her, her parents exchanged a worried look. They had had mixed feelings about this whole "magic" business.

"Vi, Val, you're coming with me next."

Violet scoffed. "We can do it ourselves in case you weren't aware."

Lily impatiently placed her hands on her hips. "I can take you home this instant if you'd prefer that."

"No, no!" Valerian piped up. "Violet was…kidding, right Vi?"

She rolled her eyes. "Sure whatever."

Lily looked at her husband exasperated before speaking again. "Go through and find your sister. Val, don't let her wander off."

Valerian nodded his head before walking through the pillar with his twin close behind.

"Harry? Are you ready?" Severus asked his son who grinned at him in return.

"I've been ready for years." He took off at a bit of a run and disappeared through the wall. Upon his disappearance the remainder of his family was joined by another group of wizards and witches.

"Severus, Lily, it's good to see you again." The red haired man extended his hand.

Severus gripped it tightly. "Arthur. This must be your family?"

The two of them exchanged pleasantries while Lily removed herself from Molly's tight hug. "Molly, these are the Grangers. Hermione here will be attending Hogwarts as well."

The bushy haired girl gave a small wave. She made eye contact with a redheaded boy close to her age and blushed before looking away again. "The name's Ron." The boy said. "Ron Weasley."

Hermione opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by the deep, resonating voice of Severus Snape. "I hate to break up the party but we should get to the platform." The people around him agreed and the rest of them made their way to the Hogwarts Express. Lily and Severus searched the crowd for their children and saw Harry exiting the train. He saw his parents and made a beeline to them.

"Mionie, I can take your trunk if you'd like. I found us a compartment already." Harry saw the redheaded boy standing behind her. He'd heard his parents speak of the Weasleys before and new they had a son his age but they'd never met. The Snape family had been too busy to associate with old members of the Order. "You must be Ron, I'm Harry-"

"I know who you are! You're Harry Snape!"

Harry blushed. Even after all these years he still hated being recognized.

"And have you really got- you know…" He pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled back the bangs of his hair and revealed his lightning bolt scar."

"So that's where You-Know-Who…"

"Yes, but I can't remember it."

"Nothing?" Asked Ron eagerly.

"Well- I remember a lot of green light, but nothing-"

They were interrupted by Lily. "Harry, dear, you need to get on the train. It's about to leave." She reached to hug him goodbye. Harry hesitated. This was certainly not the impression he'd like to make on his new friends but he gave in anyway. It would be a while before he saw his parents again. Meanwhile his father was more understanding. His goodbye consisted of a strong pat on the shoulder rather than a hug. Harry was perfectly fine with that. His father had never been one for public displays of affection…or affection period but Harry knew he was still loved. After Hermione and Ron finished bidding their farewells the three of them raced to the train and climbed the steps with trunks in tow. Harry led them to the compartment he'd already chosen and the three of them took their seats. They looked out the window at their families standing on the platform and felt the engine of the train rumble to life. Harry watched his parents grow smaller and smaller and the train pulled from the station. When everyone was out of view he turned back to Hermione and Ron. On the seat next to him sat his caged owl. He reached through the bars and stroked Hedwig's feathers. He listened to the chatter of Ron and Hermione and he smiled to himself.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Harry leapt to his feet but Ron's ears went pink and he muttered to himself that he'd brought sandwiches. "We'll take the lot." Harry said, reaching into his pocket to pay the woman. Ron stared as Harry brought it all back into the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat. Harry noticed him staring and tossed him a chocolate frog. "Eat up, you didn't think I bought this all for myself did you?" The three of them stuffed themselves on junk food as the train made it's journey to Scotland.

Eventually the sky began to grow dark and the train began to slow. "We must be here." Hermione spoke up, peering out the window. The train continued to slow down until it pulled to a stop at Hogsmeade station. They stood and Ron and Harry made their way to the door while Hermione tried to grab her things.

"Just leave it." Ron said. "They'll bring everything to our rooms."

"They?"

"House elves of course!"

Hermione looked at Harry confused. Surely Ron was joking. "You have a lot to learn." Harry laughed. "Come on, We'll explain."

Hermione climbed down off of the train seat and followed them. They exited the train into the cool night air. It was much colder here than at home. In a distance Harry could see a bright light bobbing up and down. "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" Harry pushed through the crowd with his friends close behind as they made their way to the light. They reached the overly large man who beamed down at them all. "C'mon, follow me- Any more firs' years? Mind yet step, now! Firs' years follow me!

Slipping and stumbling, they followed the large, bearded man down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. From the crowd Harry could hear the sniffles of some boy called "Neville".

"Ye' all get yet firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec." The man called over his shoulder. "Jus' round this bend here."

Almost as soon as the words had exited his mouth there was a collective gasp from the crowd of first years. The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great, black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, it's windows sparkling in the starry sky was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" The giant called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry, Ron, and Hermione scampered into a boat together, followed by Neville.

"Everyone in?" Shouted their leader who took up an entire boat himself. "Right then- forward!

The fleet of boats all took off at once, gliding across the shimmering black lake. Everyone was silent, staring at the castle in front of them. They passed through a short, dark tunnel before reaching their destination. The boats edged up to a rocky shore and the students climbed out of the boats and onto the ground.

The man raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door before them. The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall."

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She opened the door wide and the group of students filed into the large entrance hall. The inside of the castle was just as grand as the outside had been. It was made of marble from floor to ceiling and lit with small torches. It already felt like home to Harry. The woman called Professor McGonagall climbed a few of the steps in front of them and addressed the students.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start of term banquet will begin shortly but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses…"

Harry listened to her drone on and on while his eyes scanned every inch of the castle. He looked to his right to see Ron doing the same thing. Meanwhile on Harry's left was Hermione. She was paying such close attention to Professor McGonagall that Harry was almost surprised she wasn't taking notes. The Professor's speech ended and she disappeared into a room that Harry assumed was the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall returned.

"Now, form a line." Professor McGonagall told the first years. "And follow me." The students rushed to form a line, each of them fighting not to be first. Harry stood behind a sandy haired boy. Behind Harry was Ron and Hermione. Professor McGonagall pushed open the doors once again and let them into the magnificent hall. Harry gaped at the ceiling. He'd heard of it before, that it was bewitched to resemble the sky outside but Harry was impressed none the less. Part of him almost believed he was staring at the actual sky, not just a mirror image.

The line of students stopped moving and Harry faced forward again. His eyes were suddenly drawn to a figure sitting at the teachers table. Something about the man was off but Harry couldn't put his finger on it. The skinny, pallid man was drowned by the large chair he was sitting in and his head adorned a mauve colored turban. Harry wasn't sure what disturbed him more, the way the man hungrily stared at him or the fact that he seemed to be twitching. Harry was broken from his thoughts as heard Professor McGonagall call the first name.

"Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the strange hat and sat down. The hall went silent for a moment before the rip on the witches hat opened up and much to Harry's surprise, began speaking.

"Hufflepuff!" Shouted the hat. The table on the far right side of the room burst into applause and Hannah jumped off the chair to join her fellow Badgers. Harry listened as name after name was called. Hermione's name was called and she made her way to the stool. Harry noticed her talking to herself and knew she was steeling her nerves. She sat down and slipped the overly large hat on her head. It was silent for a moment before the rip opened once again. "Gryffindor!" Hermione beamed and ran to sit at the table adorn in red and gold.

After what felt like eternity, Harry heard. "Snape, Harry." At the sound of his name the hall filled with murmurs. "Snape, did she say?" "The Harry Snape?" Harry swallowed the lump growing in his throat and took shaky steps towards the stool. The black hat was slipped on his head and covered his eyes. A small voice whispered in his ear.

"Hmm…Difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting…so where shall I put you?"

Harry gripped the edge of his seat.  _ Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.  _ He recalled that not only had Lord Voldemort been in that house but that his mum had had a bad experience in it too.

"Not Slytherin, eh? You could be great you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that…no? Well if you're sure…better be, GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry was stunned at the house that had come from the hat's mouth. Surely it was a mistake. If it wasn't Slytherin then surely he would be in Ravenclaw with his father… right? Professor McGonagall prodded him off the school and he walked in a daze to sit by Hermione. His head was swimming with thoughts and the intense stares coming from the turbaned man didn't help. He forced himself to look away from him and instead focused on his new house, his new family. It was going to be a great year.


	67. Chapter 67

With his last name ending in S, Harry was one of the last few students to be sorted. His new friend, Ron, was called a few names later and Harry watched the lanky, freckled boy sit nervously on the stool. Professor McGonagall lowered the Sorting Hat onto his red hair. Almost as soon as the hat touched his hair it shouted it's decision. "Gryffindor!" Ron breathed a sigh of relief and joined his brothers and new friends at the Gryffindor table.

The last student was sorted and Professor McGonagall carried off the stool and Hat. Headmaster Dumbledore stood and beamed at the students in front of him. Harry smiled at the quirky man. They'd met a few times over the years. Harry's parents had worked for Dumbledore after all but seeing him in his element was different.

"Welcome!" Dumbledore boasted. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

The headmaster resumed is seat in a chorus of applause. The excitement came mostly from the older students. The first years couldn't quite comprehend what had just happened.

"I thought you'd said you'd met Dumbledore before?" Ron asked as the table before him filled with food.

Harry reached for the mashed potatoes as he replied. "I have?"

"You never said he'd be like that."

"I've never seen him like that. He always seems so…serious."

Ron, with his mouth full of food only responded with a shrug.

Between bites they spoke to the boys who would share their room, Neville, Seamus, and Dean. Hermione immersed herself in a conversation with the other girls. Harry looked up at the teacher's table to see if the strange man was still watching him. He seemed to be talking to another teacher that Harry didn't know. Harry leaned over to speak with Percy, Ron's brother, who was sitting on his other side.

"Who's that teacher? The one with the hat?"

Percy swallowed his food. "Quirrell. He's been a teacher here for a few years now. He's dabbled in a few topics but it seems he's our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year."

"Why is he so…"

"Twitchy? I don't know, I've never seen him like this. Maybe his turban is wound too tight. That's new as well."

Harry continued to stare at Professor Quirrell who turned around to meet his gaze. It was like he knew Harry had been watching him. When their eyes met a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.

"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.

"What is it?" Percy asked.

"N-nothing."

The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had gotten from the teacher's look- a feeling that Harry didn't like at all. Harry broke his eye contact and looked across the room, searching for his sister. He spotted her long black hair in the sea of Ravenclaws. She was too busy talking to notice him. He'd find her tomorrow. Harry resumed staring at his food when the Headmaster stood again.

"Ahem- just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start of term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. A few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins. "I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretakers, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Harry heard one of the Weasley twins, Fred or George, he couldn't tell them apart, mutter to the other one. "There's always something around here that banned. I wonder what Dumbledore's keeping in the castle this time…"

"And now, bedtime. Off you trot!" Dumbledore concluded his speech and the school body got to it's feet. Harry joined the other Gryffindors as they followed Percy from the Great Hall. Percy led them to Gryffindor tower and pointed things out along the way. Harry made a mental note about the moving stairs. Finally, they arrived in front of a portrait of a rather large woman. "Password?" She asked in a bored voice.

"Caput Draconis" Percy uttered and the portrait in front of him swung forward to reveal an entry way. They scrambled through it and exited into a cozy common room. It was decked in the house colors, red and gold, and held a roaring fire. Harry could picture himself spending many nights in front of the fire.

He pushed his way through the crowd of students looking for Hermione. When he finally spotted her bushy brown hair he reached out for her hand and pulled her over to him. "Hey! What- Oh, hi Harry."

"Night 'mione." Harry smiled before releasing her into the bustling group. She smiled back and gave a small wave before following her roommates up the stairs to their dorm. Harry turned to make his way to his own room. It was still early but he was tired from the days events. He climbed the cobblestone steps until he reached the wooden door to his room. He pushed the door open to see he was the last one to arrive.

The room was circular in shape and adorned with windows. It was decorated in the same red and gold as the common room. He spotted his trunk sitting at the foot of the center bed and smiled to himself. He dressed for bed and climbed inside, falling asleep to the chatter of the other boys.

Morning came too quickly and Harry squinted into the bright light. He wasn't ready to leave his warm, downy bed but he didn't have a choice. He pushed back the curtains and dressed in the robes he had left piled on the floor the night before. He and Ron met up with Hermione in the common room and the trio walked together towards the Great Hall. Harry had been about to sit down when he spotted Octavia. "Save me a seat, I'll be back."

He walked to the Ravenclaw table and over to the Ravenclaw haired figure. She seemed to know he was there before he even arrived.

"Ava-"

She looked horrified "Don't call me that!" She swung her legs over the bench and stood up. The two of them walked to a secluded area of the room where they couldn't be overheard. "Look, you're my brother and I love you but don't call me Ava, not in front of my friends." Harry nodded and she opened her mouth again. "So, Gryffindor, huh?" She asked with a spy smile. "Mum and Dad are going to be surprised."

Harry felt a pang of nervousness. He didn't think about his parents finding out. "Do you think they'll care?"

She laughed lightly. "No, of course not. It's just…different. It's unusual for a kid to be in a different house than their parents. I was sorted into the same one as dad and my mum." Harry nodded again, slightly relieved. He'd have to write to his parents after breakfast.

"Harry…what happened last night?"

He looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"

"Your scar, I saw the way you grabbed at it."

"Oh, that. It was nothing. Just a…a headache."

She looked at him skeptically but didn't push it. "Alright…well if you need anything you know where to find me." She glanced around to make sure no one was around before giving her little brother a quick hug." They broke apart and headed back to their own tables. Harry sat down next to Ron who instantly began berating him.

"Who was that?" He demanded

Harry glanced across the table at Hermione and saw that she was trying to contain a laugh.

"Octavia." Harry shrugged.

"You're going to need to give me more info than that."

Harry glared at Ron. "She's my sister."

"Oh." Ron said simply although his ears were beginning to turn pink again.

"I've got two other siblings at home, they'll be here next year."

"No way! I have a sister who'll be coming next year too." Ron turned to Hermione. "What about you? Any siblings I don't know about?"

She shook her head. "No, just me."

Harry filled his plate and wolfed his breakfast. Professor McGonagall was coming down the aisles handing out schedules and he wanted to leave for the owlery after getting his. When she finally reached him he snatched it out of her hand with only a quick glance at the scheduled classes before dashing from the castle and on to the grounds.

He walked the perimeter of the grounds for a few minutes before finally finding the stairs to the owlery. He took them two at a time. He arrived at the top and pulled a crumpled piece of parchment and a quill from his pocket and smoothed it against one of the cool stones of the buildings. He peered into the room, it didn't take long before he spotted the pure white owl, she was the only one. He scribbled a quick note to his parents, letting them know of the sorting and nothing else, nothing about the pain in his scar. He didn't want to worry anyone and he was sure it was nothing. He rolled the paper and tied it to Hedwig's leg. He watched her beautiful frame take off and he returned to the castle.

Lily usually left the kitchen window open Incase they received an owl. She came home from work that evening to find not only one, but two owls perched in the corner of the room. One was Hedwig and the other was Archimedes, her old owl that had been passed on to Octavia. She removed the letters from both owls and sat at the table to open them. Harry's came first. Lily had been anxious to find out if he had been placed in Ravenclaw or Slytherin. She scanned the words eagerly.

"Gryffindor?" She muttered to herself in surprise. She heard the front door open, signaling the return of Severus who had fetched their remaining kids from school. "Sev!" She called. "Come here." The brooding frame of Severus entered the room only a moment later.

"What is it?" He asked, his mouth etched into a frown. She handed the parchment to him and watched as he read the words Harry had printed on the page. He looked up at her. "Gryffindor? How did we get a Gryffindor?"

"I don't know but at least Hermione is in it as well. They aren't separate…like we were."

Severus pointed to the other letter on the table. "What's that one?"

"I don't know, I haven't read it yet. She unfurled the rolled paper and began reading it, it was from Ava of course. Severus read it over Lily's shoulder.

"He's never talked about his scar hurting before."

Severus shook his head. "I haven't heard anything about it either."

Lily turned to look at him worriedly. "What do you think it is?"

Severus draped his arms around her. "I don't know but he's safer at Hogwarts than he would be here."

"Should we tell Dumbledore?"

"No." He replied with another shake of the head. "Let's just ask Ava to keep an eye on Harry and let us know if she sees anything else. For now there's nothing we can do. If it keeps happening we can go to Dumbledore."

Lily nodded but she didn't feel any better about it. "I wonder why he didn't say anything."

"He probably just didn't want to worry you."

"But he doesn't know what a big deal it is."

"Is it a big deal?" Severus shrugged. "Scars hurt sometimes. Especially ones created with dark magic." He rubbed his left arm absentmindedly.

"What if this means  _ he's _ back?"

"Then we'll be getting rid of him sooner than he thought…Lily there's something you need to know."

She looked at him, worry etched in her features.

"Have you heard of the philosopher's stone?" She shook her head and Severus continued hesitantly. "It's used to make the elixir of life. It can technically make one immortal." Severus turned to look out the window and away from Lily.

"Sev…why are you telling me this?"

"Dumbledore contacted me a few weeks ago. They have reasons to believe the stone would be stolen from Gringott's bank. They moved it to Hogwarts at the beginning of the year."

Lily gasped. "You don't think…he's after it? Do you?

Severus sighed. "I do. It could give him his life back."

"You should have told me! I never would have sent our son to Hogwarts!"

"I know…that's why I didn't."

She stood to storm from the room but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "There's more…sit down."

She did as she was told and he saw the fury that filled her face now alongside the worry. She was going to kill him, especially after what he said next. He took the seat next to her and held her hands. He looked down at them as he spoke. "Dumbledore believes there's one more horcrux."

"What? You have to find it! Lord Voldemort can't come back."

"That's where we have a problem. Harry, Harry is the horcrux."

She looked at him confused. "How?"

"It seems that night you know who found us, when he was destroyed Dumbledore believes a piece of his soul latched onto Harry's."

"What does that mean? What does it mean for Harry?"

"Only Lord Voldemort himself can destroy it. To destroy a horcrux the receptacle must be damaged beyond repair."

"So Harry…must…die?" She asked in a small voice, afraid for his answer.

He nodded and she burst into tears, collapsing into his arms. He held her heaving body and spoke again. "Dumbledore is hopeful Harry will survive, that only the piece of Voldemort's soul will be destroyed but he can't be sure. Harry can't know any of this or it won't work. He must willingly sacrifice himself.

"But he's only 11! He's just a child!"

"I know." Severus tried to keep his voice from cracking at the thought of him losing his son. "All we can do is hope that Voldemort doesn't show himself for many years, that Harry will have time to prepare and live his life." She nodded against his chest but she didn't really hear what he was saying. All she could think of was the likely probability she was going to lose her son. More than anything she just wanted to hug him right now and she couldn't. With him stuck at Hogwarts she might never get to again and that thought only made her cry harder.


	68. Chapter 68

So far, Harry had been enjoying his Hogwarts' experience. He'd inherited his intelligence from both his mum and dad so class were proving to be easy, at least for now. The main annoyance was his fame. Although he expected it, he didn't enjoy it. He seemed to be held to a different standard than everyone else because of something he couldn't even remember. He was constantly bombarded with questions and most of the time he didn't even know the answer. It was infuriating to hear the other kids whisper about him when they didn't even know him. Harry wasn't even sure he was the one to defeat Lord Voldemort, how could he be? He wasn't even two years old when it happened and the only thing he could remember was his mother screaming as a green light was aimed at them. For all he knew, it had been his parents who defeated Lord Voldemort, not him.

His fame not only affected his fellow students but seemed to extended to his teachers as well, particularly Professor Quirrell. The professor always seemed to be caught off guard by Harry and acted almost afraid of him. Harry noticed the frustration appear on Professor Quirrell's face every time Harry was around. It was like he was arguing with himself internally. Harry recalled how Percy had mentioned that Professor Quirrell used to be normal, not twitchy and afraid. Harry was deeply concerned about what a person had to go through to end up like this. He resolved to stay as far away as possible from Professor Quirrell. The man made Harry uncomfortable.

Ron tried to brush off Harry's annoyance. He was just an unusual man, nothing else. Although Ron noticed many of the same quirks in Professor Quirrell he wasn't worried. Quirrell seemed to deal with them. Even when students weren't around he seemed to have a habit of mumbling to himself. Harry on the other hand dreaded everyday he spent with the man. He tried to avoid the thought that he'd be seeing him for the next seven years of his life.

Harry's fear of the man were only exacerbated on Halloween. Ron had been bickering with Hermione all evening, to the point where she chose not to show up to dinner. Ron had been teasing her about being a know it all and she took it harsh. Harry had been unwilling to pick sides. It was true she could be a know it all and Harry agreed it got on his nerves but he didn't feel as strongly about the situation as Ron. He didn't realize how badly Hermione had been hurt until she didn't show up to the Halloween feast that evening. Harry leaned over to speak with Pavarti Patil, one of Hermione's room mates. "Pavarti, sorry to interrupt but do you have any idea where Hermione is?"

Pavarti glared back at him and lowered her voice. "She's been in the dungeon bathroom all day, crying."

Harry felt his heart sink as she turned back to her friends. Just then the doors into the Great Hall were flung open by a terrified Professor Quirrell. He ran to the teacher's table with all eyes on him. "Troll! In the dungeons!... thought you ought to know." He screamed before his knees buckled underneath him and he fainted on the stone floor in front of Headmaster Dumbledore. Immediately the hall erupted into chaos of frightened students. The Headmaster's voice rang out Above the rest. "Prefects, lead your students back to their dormitories immediately." The student body scrambled to it's feet to follow their prefects from the room. In the noise and the chaos, Harry snuck from the room dragging Ron behind him.

"Hermione's in the dungeons, we have to do something!"

Ron looked back at him hesitantly.

"Ron, she doesn't know about the troll! We have to go after her!" Without waiting for an answer Harry turned on his heel in the direction of the stairs to the dungeon. Ron followed him, close behind. They raced down the steps, afraid they'd be caught before they could get to Hermione. Finally they reached the wooden door to the girls bathroom and he yanked it open. "Hermione! We have to-" He was answered by the shrill shriek of an 11 year old girl and saw that she was already well aware of the troll, seeing as it was standing in front of her.

"Harry! Do something!" Ron yelled.

"I-I don't know any spells!"

Ron found a medium sized rock on the floor from the destruction the Troll had already caused and picked it up. He heaved the rock at the troll and hit him square in the shoulder. With a grunt the troll turned to face them. "Great, didn't think of that." The troll stalked towards Harry and Ron now, giving a cowering Hermione a chance to escape. She aimed her wand at a large metal pipe lying on the ground. "Wingardium Leviosa!" She yelled and the pipe began to quiver up above the ground. She raised it higher and higher until it was directly above the troll's head before releasing the spell. With a loud crack it hit him in the skull and he dropped to the floor, shaking the room around him.

"Come on." Harry called. "We better get out of here." He turned to leave when he spotted a very disgruntled Professor McGonagall staring back at him.

"What on Earth were you three doing?" The cold fury in her voice was palpable. "You could have been killed!".

Harry stuttered, trying to reply as he noticed more teachers standing behind Professor McGonagall. When no sound came out of his mouth it was Hermione who spoke up. "They came to save me. I-I wasn't at the feast, I was in here instead. I'd been upset and hadn't known about the troll. Th-they came to warn me and saved my life."

Professor McGonagall stared back at her, anger still etched on her face but Harry had noticed it had softened a little. "That was very foolish of you two. You should have come to a teacher and let us handle the situation. That'll be five points from Gryffindor for each of you for such idiotic bravery." The three of them stared at the floor as they were disciplined. The other members of their house would be angry with them. "However, for having compassion and for sheer dumb luck, I am awarding you each ten points." They stared back up at her, dumb struck. "Next time you won't be so lucky." Professor McGonagall warned. "Go straight to your dormitory. Students are finishing the feast in their houses." Professor McGonagall turned to walk from the bathroom with the rest of the Hogwarts' staff.

The trio still stood in shock over what had just happened.

"Come on, we better get back." Hermione stepped forward to leave and was held back by Ron.

"Hermione- I…um…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said the things I did."

"Thank you, Ronald."

He released her and the three of them walked from the dungeon, heading for Gryffindor tower. They reached the third floor to be greeted by the brilliant red eyes of Mrs. Norris. At the sight of them she turned with a meow and headed for her master.

"Crap." Hermione whispered. "It's Filch's cat. He can't see us." Without realizing where they were they began searching for a hiding place. They ran to the nearest door. With an alohomora Hermione unlocked it and they shuffled inside just as Filch was rounding the corner. Harry and Hermione pressed their ears against the doors, listening for Filch to leave. Ron began tugging on Harry's sleeve impatiently. "What?" Harry hissed in a low voice. He turned to see a look of terror on Ron's face and saw that he was pointing into the room. Harry and Hermione followed his finger to see a massive, three headed dog filling up the room and staring back at them. His lips began to curl as he growled. Deciding they'd rather face Filch than be eaten they rushed from the room and out into a thankfully empty hallway. They slammed the door behind them and locked it again. The three of them ran straight to Gryffindor tower without stopping. Once they were in the safety of their common room they found a private corner to discuss what had just happened.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?!" Ron burst, trying to not to shout.

"You don't use your eyes do you?" Hermione snapped at him. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at it's feet, I was too busy with it's heads. There were three of them Incase you weren't aware.

"No, not the floor." Hermione scoffed, ignoring the rest of what Harry had said. "It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something." She glared at them and turned to leave. "I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed, or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

"No, we don't mind." Ron sneered before turning to Harry. "You'd think we forced her to come with us. If I'm remembering correctly, it was  _ her _ who unlocked the door."

Harry barely heard what he'd said. His mind was racing back to the letter he'd received from his parents a few weeks ago after the sorting.

_ Somewhere in the castle an item is hidden, an item that Lord Voldemort wants and needs. Harry, I urge you to go to the Headmaster if you suspect anything or anyone suspicious. This isn't something to mess with. And absolutely, under no circumstances do you dare search for it yourself. – Mum and Dad _

"Harry? Are you even listening to me?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Hermione's right. That  _ thing  _ is guarding something, something Lord Voldemort wants."

From that day forward they searched night and day for any clue of what the dog could be guarding. In reality it could be anything. Harry was certain his parent's knew what it was but he couldn't ask them without them becoming suspicious. For now they'd just have to figure it out on their own until he could go home over winter break and try to pry it from them. Until then they searched through nearly every book in the library except for the restricted section.

Harry packed his things the night before. He was excited to go home and see his family again. Both Ron and Hermione would be going home too. There was no reason for him to stay and this would be the perfect time to figure out what Hogwarts' was guarding. He just hoped his parents wouldn't be suspicious of his questions. He was thankful that Professor McGonagall hadn't written to his parents about the troll incident. They didn't need to believe that Harry was looking for trouble. It would make this mission a lot harder.

Harry's parents had fought against Voldemort for most of his life. When the Order had disbanded after the fall of Lord Voldemort his mum had stopped helping Dumbledore, there was no need for her. However, much to Harry's curiosity, his father continued. Harry remembered many nights over the years of his mum being overly worried when his dad left. She'd check the time every five minutes and always grew restless and distracted. Harry wondered what his dad was doing that made his mum so nervous. Surely it was dangerous. Then suddenly it had ended. His dad stopped meeting with Dumbledore and starting working at the hospital. According to Harry's dad, he had finished his work with Dumbledore but Harry had never known what that work was.

His parents had finally opened up to him a little bit about Voldemort a few months ago. They'd told Harry how he defeated Lord Voldemort and that he would be famous for it. They told him he was the only person who had survived the killing curse. Most importantly, they told him that Lord Voldemort would be back and that he would go after Harry. Harry knew his parents weren't trying to scare him. He had asked for the truth and they had given it to him but he was still just a child. That was a lot of weight for a child to carry. Harry tried to be brave but it was easier said than done and now that he was at Hogwarts it seemed all the more real.

Almost as soon as Harry stepped out of the train and into King's Cross Station he was enveloped into a hug by his mother. He tried to push her off, he didn't want the other student seeing this, but she only clung tighter. Eventually his father had to pull her off of him and she was reluctant to let go. Something had happened while Harry was gone.

In September, 9 of them had arrived at King's Cross. In late December, the same 9 of them drove home. The entire Snape family and Granger family were there together once again. Once inside the car together, Hermione began talking about nearly everything she could. The only stories of Hogwarts she left out were those when they had broken the rules: fighting the troll and the third floor corridor incident. She barely gave anyone else room to add to the conversation.

Harry was fine with it. He was unnerved with the way his mother seemed to be looking at him. While his father was more subtle about it, Harry noticed a change in him too. He was afraid that without Hermione's constant jabbering he would have to answer questions from his parents.

As the car grew closer to the Granger home Harry became increasingly worried. He didn't know what to expect or what this was about. Maybe his parents had heard about the troll incident? Would they still let him go to Hogwarts? A pit began to grow in his stomach.

Finally, much to Harry's disappointment, they reached the Granger's house and bid farewell. When the last car door was shut there was instant awkward silence. Everyone seemed to know something was going on but no one seemed to understand what exactly it was. Eventually Octavia turned back to the book she had been reading and Valerian and Violet resumed their usual bickering. Harry just stared at his hands for the remainder of the short drive.

As they pulled into the driveway Lily turned to speak to her son. "Harry." She said in a cracked voice. "We need to talk to you alone." All four of her children looked at her, confused. Octavia knew as much about the situation as Harry did but Harry figured the twins new  _ something. _ According to their expressions, they didn't.

Severus unloaded the two trunks from the boot of the car and cast a levitating charm to lead them inside. The 6 of them walked through the front door and each went their separate ways. Harry reluctantly followed his parents to their bedroom. His dad shut the door and cast a silencing charm over the room. He wasn't stupid enough to let Violet eavesdrop. He sat on the bed next to Lily. They took one last cautious look at each other before speaking to the nervous child in front of him.

"Harry…do you know what I was doing for Dumbledore all those years?"

Harry shook his head no, surprised at the question.

Severus sighed, he'd have to explain more than he wanted to. "Lord Voldemort wanted to make himself immortal. He's afraid of death. By doing that he performed a complicated ritual to place pieces of his soul in objects. That way if his body was killed he could still return. Dumbledore and I hunted these objects for years and we thought we had found them all…until recently." He looked at Lily who's eyes were beginning to fill with tears. "Dumbledore believes that the night Voldemort attacked us, attacked you, he accidentally placed part of his soul inside of you."

Harry gaped at his father. A piece of the dark lord lived inside him. It made him feel dirty. "What does that mean?"

"Shortly before your birth a prophecy was made. It changed our lives and I've had it memorized ever since." Severus closed his eyes and recited the words once more. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ..."

"I d-don't understand." Harry stammered.

"Someone out there is capable of destroying Lord Voldemort. That someone is you."

"How do you know?"

"You were targeted because of the prophecy. The Dark Lord 'marked you as his equal' by placing a piece of his soul inside yours. The only way to remove that piece is to destroy it. Lord Voldemort must destroy it himself. Harry…that means you must…must…die."

Harry shook his head, not wanting to believe what he had heard. His father had to be wrong. None of this was possible…was it? A soul isn't even tangible, how could one separate it? Harry didn't believe him, didn't want to believe him, but inside he felt his world falling apart and everything in his life was starting to make sense.

"Dad…there's something I want to ask you." Severus looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "What's Headmaster Dumbledore keeping at Hogwarts?" Severus looked at him in surprise, he had expected Harry to be upset about the revelation. Harry continued. "At the start of the year feast the Headmaster said part of the third corridor was off limits unless we wanted to die a most painful death. The next day there was an article about a break in at Gringott's but the item had already been removed. Is that what Dumbledore is hiding? Why is it important?"

"Yes, the item the thief tried to steal is being kept at Hogwarts. It's something that Lord Voldemort is desperately after, something that will help keep him alive. I believe part of why Dumbledore is keeping it at Hogwarts is to lure Lord Voldemort there where he hopefully can be captured…Harry?  _ Have _ you noticed anyone unusual at Hogwarts?"

A face instantly swam into Harry's mind. "Professor Quirrell."


	69. Chapter 69

Harry spent his break in a blur. He felt guilty that he was distancing himself from his family, especially his mom, but he didn't know how to feel about it all. He was terrified. He was young and Death was still a foreign concept to him. Part of him didn't even believe it was real. He'd survived an attack from Lord Voldemort once, what was stopping him from doing it again? Halfway into the break he received a knock on the bedroom door, the place he'd been spending most of his time.

"Come in." He grumbled from the bed.

The brass doorknob turned and the door pushed open to show his father framed in the doorway. "Harry, I want to teach you a few things."

Harry rolled over on his side to face the wall. "What's the point? He groaned."

"You never know when you might need them."

"I'm going to die anyway…"

Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't give away too much information. Dumbledore said it was crucial that Harry willingly handed himself over to Lord Voldemort. "Harry, this is important. I need you to learn a few simple spells in case you need to protect yourself before meeting Lord Voldemort."

"Fine." Harry pushed himself off the bed in annoyance and grabbed his wand. He trudged after his father into The garden.

"Now, we'll start with the easiest one first, a disarming spell. Aim your wand at me and follow my wand movement." Harry did as he was told and drew a curved backwards "j" in the air. "The incantation is 'expelliarmus'. Use it with the wand movement and let's see how you do."

Harry once again drew the j like shape and weakly said "Expelliarmus!"

Severus felt his wand shoot forward in his hand slightly but not completely. "Good, almost there. Try saying it with more force, like this, expelliarmus!" The wand flew from Harry's hand to be caught by Severus who quickly handed it back. "Again."

"Expelliarmus!" Rather than having the wand fly out of his father's hand it merely jumped forward and fell to the ground. The corners of Severus' mouth lifted slightly. "Good job, try again."

Harry tried again and again and the movement was stronger each time. On his sixth attempt he was able to make the wand arc through the air towards him. He leaped up and caught it proudly. Temporarily forgetting his previous depression.

"It's rather simple but I want you to keep practicing until you can achieve that every time. The second spell I wish to show you is much harder. It's a spell taught in your fifth year of Hogwarts. Protego is used to cast a shield and temporarily block spells from your opponent." Severus once again showed him the wand movement and had Harry follow after him. The hard part about Protego was it was practically invisible. If one was dueling it would be almost unnoticeable unless the other witch or wizard was paying attention. In the spell was cast there was a slight shimmer on the edges of the shield. It only lasted for a moment but if one knew what to look for it could be easily seen.

Harry repeated the incantation over and over and over with no effect, no slight shimmer. As the sky around them darkened, Harry began to grow more and more frustrated. Finally when he seemed to have reached the peak of his anger, there it was, the telltale shimmer Severus had been looking for.

"Harry! Do that again, exactly the same and pay close attention."

Harry looked at his father in annoyance and did as he was told anyway. As he cast the spell he heard his father should "Expelliarmus!" Harry watched as the red beam of light came towards him, nearly hitting him before bouncing off and aiming back at Severus. Harry watched in surprise as the wand flew from his father's hand."

Severus smiled, a true smile this time, one that rarely graced his lips. "Harry, you've done it. You successfully blocked my spell."

His father's happiness rubbed off on him and Harry smiled back. "I did didn't I?"

They continued to practice their spells until late into the night each time the shield grew stronger and Harry more proud. For this time during his break he was disappointed he had to return to his bedroom and go to bed. He fell asleep that night feeling warm and fuzzy and proud of himself. He knew he had to die but maybe he could put up a fighting chance first.

Harry practiced everyday nearly all day until it was time to return to Hogwarts. On the express he pushed to his friends what he had learned, only he carefully left out white the spells were necessary. Hermione was stunned. She was sure if she could believe him. Shielding spells were much to advanced for them. Only a few months ago they had learned to levitate objects and they hadn't gotten past a feather.

Classes resumed back to normal and Harry found a new motivation in life. He concentrated in classes harder than he ever had before and was determined to learn all that he could, rivaling only Hermione. The year continued, days turned into weeks which turned into months and Harry began to wonder if his father had been telling the truth. Sure, Professor Quirrell was still weird and Harry kept his eye on him but he didn't really consider him to be a threat. That all changed one evening in April.

Curfew was growing close and Harry had been hurrying towards Gryffindor tower from the library when it happened. He'd walked past the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom when he heard Professor Quirrell speaking in an unusually even voice.

"Master, are you sure?" Quirrell's voice hissed.

"It must be done tonight." Responded a high pitched voice that was unfamiliar to Harry. "That fool, Hagrid has given you all the information you need. Dumbledore is out of the castle. You must steal the stone while you have a chance."

"Master, you're still weak…" The voice trailed off as Harry dashed down the hallway. Instead of turning towards his common room he headed straight for the transfiguration room instead. He pushed through the doorway panting and spotted the severe looking Professor McGonagall sitting behind her desk at the head of the room. She was startled by his entrance but he ignored her questions.

"Professor- The stone! Someone's going to steal it- tonight!"

She looked at him in shock. "Ho-how do you know-how" She sputtered

"I heard it, Professor Quirrell was speaking with someone about stealing it, tonight!"

She eyed him with a mixture of shock and suspicion. "No one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected."

"But, Profesor-"

"Snape, I know what I'm talking about. Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow. I suggest you retire to your room and get some sleep."

Harry swallowed hard. He had been wrong, the time of his death would come and Harry was afraid it was tonight. "Alright, Professor, goodnight." He spoke solemnly before stuffing his hands in his pockets and walking from the room, head down.

A part of him longed to find Ron and Hermione, to tell them goodbye, but they would grow too suspicious. They wouldn't let him leave and this had to be done.

Harry's heart pounded in his chest as he snuck towards the third floor corridor. He hoped he could even make it past the three headed dog. Harry was afraid he would never even make it to Professor Quirrell but he had to try.

He reached the door that held the three headed dog without any interruptions. It was too early for Filch to be on the prowl. Harry swallowed and aimed his wand at the door. "Alohomora." He whispered and heard the lock click open. He placed his sweaty hand on the doorknob and pulled it open. He was surprised to hear the melodic sounds coming from inside and opened the door further. The three headed dog was sleeping soundly on the floor while in the far corner a harp played. Professor Quirrell was already here. Harry quietly crept towards the trapdoor so as not to wake the dog. He placed his hand on the handle of the trapdoor and felt a strange yank behind his bellybutton. Before he knew he was flailing through the night air. He landed with a loud thud in cold, wet grass.

Harry sat up confused. Before him stood Quirrell who stared back at him maliciously. "Y-you! It was you! This whole time!"

"Me." Professor Quirrell replied calmly. "I wondered when I'd be meeting you here. You're too nosy to live, Snape. scurrying around the school on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the stone."

"You let the troll in?"

"Certainly, who would suspect p-p-poor st-stuttering P-professor Quirrell?"

"Where's the stone?"

"Don't you understand, Harry? For many months now, my new target has been – you. We were aware of your presence outside of our doorway this evening. You didn't overhear our conversation by chance.

"But, how? What do you mean 'we'"

Professor Quirrell stared back at him with an evil glint in his eye as he began unwrapping his deep purple turban. When it was removed and all that remained was his bald head Professor Quirrell turned away from Harry. Instead of looking into the blue eyes of Professor Quirrell, Harry stared deep into the dark, red eyes of "Voldemort" He gasped.

"Now!" cried the voice of Lord Voldemort. Before Harry knew it he was being dragged by his arm towards…  _ a _ _ grave  _ Harry realized in horror. He was pressed up against a headstone by an unknown, masked man. The headstone seemingly sprung to life and Harry was pinned against it.

A few feet away the same unknown man stood, lighting a fire under a large cauldron. It began bubbling almost instantaneously and Harry heard a scream. He flipped his head back to see Professor Quirrell crumpled to the ground as a spirit seemed to arise from him. The spirit, which Harry realized was the remnant of Lord Voldemort, drifted towards the bubbling cauldron and disappeared inside of it. The masked man scurried towards Harry again. "Bone of the father, unknowingly given" He said to no one as a crack in front of the headstone appeared and a bone floated out from inside of it. "Flesh of the master, willingly given." Harry struggled against the statue pinning him down as the masked man sliced off the tip of his finger. "Blood of the enemy…forcibly taken." Harry cried out in pain then as he felt the cool metal of a knife slice open his wrist. The masked man added the last ingredient to the pot, Harry's one blood, and stood back to watch his finished product.

At first there was nothing.  _ Let it have gone wrong  _ Harry thought. Then suddenly, a surge of steam billowed from the boiling potion. It filled Harry's vision. He couldn't see anything but the white smoke in front of him. The mist began to clear and Harry felt it terror shoot through him.

"Robe me." Said the high, cold voice of Lord Voldemort. The masked man walked towards him and did as his master commanded. The Dark Lord explored his new found body. He rubbed the naked skin of his scalp and inhaled the fresh hair. A moment later his eyes snapped open, revealing the blood red irises inside. Once he was satisfied he let out a high, cold laugh.

"You stand, Harry Potter, upon the remains of my late father. A muggle and a fool. But watch Hardy, as my new family returns, my army, and your father." He smiled back at Harry fiercely as he pushed up the sleeve covering his left arm. He pressed one of his long, thin fingertips to the light tattoo etched in his skin. Harry watched as the tattoo, the dark marks began to bring black. "Tomorrow the world will know of the Azkaban breakout. My followers have been freed and we will resume control of the wizarding world." As he finished speaking Harry heard several pops around him, the sound he knew to signal apparition. Black, masked forms appeared and Lord Voldemort turned to face them.

The scene in front of Harry began to unfold. At first, Lord Voldemort was silent. Harry could feel the anger emanating from him as he realized that only four new figures stood before him.

"Was the breakout not a success? Where are the rest of your brothers and sisters!?"

A woman's voice spoke up in response. "My Lord, I do not know. Samael said the attack was a success. They should be here."

"Cowards! They will pay dearly for their betrayal and the five of you will assist me." Lord Voldemort aimed his hand at each follower and their masks disappeared in a burst of smoke. "Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Amycus, Alecto." He turned finally to the last man, the man that had been there all along, the man who had brought back Lord Voldemort. "Samael"

"I confess myself…disappointed. Bellatrix, Samael, stay with me. You three, return to Azkaban, find the others and bring them here. If you shall fail you will suffer a most painful death along with the others who failed to appear." He turned back to Harry, fighting to keep his anger under control. "I see your father is among the cowards. I shouldn't say I'm not surprised he didn't come, not after he defied me to save you."

"My father never supported you! He's only fought to destroy you!" Harry burst with a new wave of bravery.

"Silence! You don't know of which you speak. Crucio!"

Harry felt a surge of pain throughout his body. He felt as though all his bones were being smashed to bits and he fought to remain conscious. Then suddenly it was over as fast as it had begun. With a flick or Lord Voldemort's wand, the statue that held Harry hostage was released and Harry stumbled forward. He gripped his wand tightly in his hand but didn't raise it. It was time. It wasn't worth putting up a fight.

The Dark Lord laughed. "This is how you want to die? You won't even fight for your life? The boy who lived will be known as weak and cowardly. We'll prove once and for all that you couldn't defeat me."

Harry lifted his chin and stared him straight in the eye. "You're the weak one. You'll never know love, or friendship, and I feel sorry for you."

Harry felt the rage raise inside of Voldemort once more as the Dark Lord aimed his wand at him. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

…

...

…

Harry laid facedown, listening to the silence. He was perfectly alone. No one was watching, no one else was there. He was not perfectly sure that he was there himself. A long time later or maybe no time at all, it came to him that he must exist, must be more than a disembodied thought, because he was lying, definitely lying, on some surface. Therefore he had a sense of touch, and the thing which he laid on existed too. He lay in a bright mist, though it was not like mist he had ever experienced before. His surroundings were not hidden by cloudy vapor, rather the cloudy vapor had not yet formed into surroundings. He sat up. His body appeared unscathed.

Then, a noise reached him through the unformed nothingness that surrounded him. Harry stood up, looking around. The longer he looked the more there was to see. Harry turned slowly on the spot and recoiled as he spotted the thing that was making the noises. It had the form of a small, naked child, curled on the ground and it lay shuddering under a seat where it had been left, unwanted, stuffed out of sight, struggling to breath.

"You cannot help." A strangely familiar voice said.

Harry turned to see who it was. A man stood before him with long black hair that was beginning to gray and a roman nose.

"Grandpa?" Harry asked unbelieving. Tobias Snape had died before Harry had ever known him but now as he stood before Harry, he knew without a doubt that's who it was.

The older man smiled back. "You wonderful boy. You brave, brave boy. Let us walk." Stunned, Harry followed as his grandpa walked away from where the child like form lay whimpering.

"But…you're dead." Harry said confused.

"Oh, yes."

"Then... I'm dead too?"

"Ah, that is the question, isn't it? I think not, dear boy." Tobias responded, smiling broadly.

"Not? But should have died…I didn't defend myself! I meant to let him kill me!"

"And that, I think, made all the difference." Happiness seemed to radiate from the man.

"But if Voldemort used the killing curse…how can I be alive?"

"He took your blood and rebuilt his living body with it. Your blood is in veins, Harry, your mother's protection lives inside both of you. He tethered you to life while he lives and his knowledge remained woefully incomplete. That which Voldemort does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend, is love. Voldemort knows and understands nothing. A power beyond the reach if any magic is a truth he has never grasped."

"And my parents knew this? All along?"

"Yes, but you couldn't. In order for it to work you had to believe you were going to die."

Harry sat down on the seat of nothingness behind him, trying to comprehend all the was happening. "I can go back?"

"That is up to you."

"Tell me one last thing…is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?"

Tobias beamed at him again. "Of course it's happening inside your head, Harry, but why on Earth should that mean it's not real?"

The mist began to fade and the darkness returned. Harry laid in a heap on the same cold, wet grass as before. His eyes were shut but he could hear the victorious laughter of Lard Voldemort. Harry cracked open an eye and saw that Lord Voldemort and his followers we're standing with their backs to him. Harry turned his head to the other side and saw that he was near the handle of the trapdoor. Harry quietly got to his feet and shuffled over so that he was standing near the handle.

"I believe you've forgotten something." Harry said with a new sense of life. Lord Voldemort turned to look at him, unsure he wasn't just hearing things. Bellatrix and Samael spun around to face him as will and Lord Voldemort stuck his arms out to block them. "Do nothing. He is  _ mine! _ " Lord Voldemort raised his wand at precisely the same time as Harry. Harry understood now why his father had taught him those spells. "Expelliarmus! He yelled at the same time Lord Voldemort once again cast an Avada Kedavra. The light of their spells met and Harry concentrated on his wand. Slowly, the red disarming spell overtook the green killing curse. Suddenly the wand flew from Lord Voldemort's hand and a look of defeat crossed his face. To the horror of Harry, Bellatrix, and Samael, The Dark Lord fell backwards, arms splayed, the slit of his red pupiled eyes rolling upward. He hit the ground with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken. His white hands empty, his snake like face vacant and unknowing. Before his two remaining Death Eaters could comprehend what had happened, Harry crouched down and grasped the handle to the trap door. He once again felt the yank behind his bellybutton before suddenly landing back in Hogwarts castle. The thud of his body against the stone floor made the three headed dog stir but the harp played on. Harry scrambled from his feet and rushed to the door. He yanked it open and saw Headmaster Dumbledore standing on the other side. He had been preparing to open the door as well. Instead he stretched his arms out in front of him and Harry fell forward into the old man's arms.

Harry awoke several hours later in the hospital wing. As his eyes fluttered open, the first thing he saw was the deep green eyes of his mother staring back at him. She leaped forward and pulled him into a tight hug. He felt her tears soak through his hospital gown. "Harry, oh Harry, I'm so proud of you." She shook uncontrollably as emotions overtook her. Not wanting to wait for his wife to let his son go, Severus joined the hug as well. Harry saw that his dad's eyes were also filled with tears and he felt a lump grow in his throat.

"Is he gone?"

"He's gone, he's really gone this time and all because of you." Severus sat back and ruffled his son's hair. "Headmaster Dumbledore transferred you to the hospital wing before returning to the…the graveyard. Lord Voldemort's body was still there. It seems his followers fled, tried to save themselves and left the evidence behind.

"I don't understand how it happened?" Harry asked, confused.

"I believe I can answer that." The wise voice of Dumbledore wafted over to him. "Your wand was the brother of Lord Voldemort's. They were forged from the same materials. Because of it, his wand couldn't over take yours. Your defensive spell caused his to rebound on himself ."

Harry smiled. "So…he Avada Kedavra'd himself?"

Dumbledore smiled back. "Precisely."

Harry heard the door to the hospital wing open once more and the sounds of footsteps ran towards him. The first to reach him was Octavia who hugged her brother hard. "You're alive, I can't believe you're alive!" When she finally let him go, Harry received two more hugs from Ron and Hermione.

"I can't believe he kept it all a secret, mate. We could have helped you!" Ron said in mock anger.

Harry shook his head. "It was something I had to keep to myself. You two would have stopped me.

Hermione smiled at him. "You've got that right."

For the first time in Harry's short life , things were normal. After the defeat of Lord Voldemort it was chaotic. He was surrounded by students and press who seemed to have an endless amount of questions. He was praised as a hero throughout the wizarding community. Life finally calmed down and he returned to Hogwarts for his second year as a normal student. He witnessed the sorting of Violet and Valerian. Valerian was placed in Hufflepuff, much to his families surprise, and Violet was placed in Slytherin. With their sorting's, the Snape family had one child in each house.

Harry's scar disappeared after the defeat of Voldemort. The five remaining followers of Lord Voldemort were sent to Azkaban for life while the ones who had abdicated were retried and given reduced sentences. The wizarding world was peaceful once more. All was well.


End file.
